The Washington herald., 1921-12-05
SLIGHT DECREASE
in UNEMPLOYMENT
ALL over COUNTRY
Improvement Notable in
Virginia and Maryland,
Labor Report Shows.

Employment conditions through
out the country recorded an in
crease of 40 per cent. or 7.219 men
during the past month as compared
with the preceding month. accord
ing to a report by Francis I.
Jones, director general of the
United States Employment Service
of the Department of Labor, which
Hyas made public last night.
The improvement in employment
and industrial circles was felt in
Washington as the result OF a build
ing boom now in progress and which
is predicted to continue throughout
the winter SO long as weather con-
ditions permit. although some un-
employment obtains among railroad
shop men, auto mechanics, clerks
and laborers.
In Virginia and Maryland. the
Improvement is notable, but the
large influx of unemployed persons
from other parts of the country
tends to keep the unemployment
figures abnormally large In these
states. according to the report.
Total Force Is Less.
AllnouSn lstzo ms In the S1AtS-
five principal Industrial centers of
the country report an addition Of
1919 employees during the past
month, the total working force Of
these concerts at the close Of the
month of November 1.567.347-
shows a net decrease of 60.76O, or
81 per cent in the working force
since January.
OF these sixty-f1ve principal in
dustrial centers, forty show an in
crease of 22,212 employees during
the past month, while twenty-four
show a decrease of 1898, and one,
| indianapolis, Ind, remained un-
changed. The increase in employ
ment was greatest in Peoria, Ill.
with a percentage of 225. while the
centers recording a decrease were
headed by Los Angeles, with a per-
centage of 10.5.
The industries showing an in
crease in employment were: Paper
and printing; lumber and its manu-
facture; vehicles for land transpor-
| tation; iron and steel and their
products; stone, clay and glass
products: textiles and their prod
ucts, and metals and metal prod
ucts other than iron and steel
The industries showing a de-
crease in enjoyment were: Liquor
and beverages: railroad repair
shops: food and kindred products;
/ leather and its finished products,
and miscellaneous industries.
Little Aid Expected.
The line of prosperity which
started on an upward swing in
August and September showed a
tendency toward a receed during
the past month";" said Director
Jones. while iron and steel con-
tinued to add to its forces, industry
as a whole remained inactive. with
railroad repair shops dismi ssing
about per cent of their workers.
Food and kindred products also
made heavy reductions, as a result
of the usual seasonal slackening
while other industries, with the ex-
ception of the automobile industry
which apparently has recovered
from its seasonal inertia and is in
creasins its working force. re-
mained stationary.
Reports from 231 of the princi-
pal industrial centers indicate that
owing to the seasonal and climatic
conditions. unemployment will in
crease slightly during the next
month, and that there is no pros
pect of a material change until
spring. Industry will retain the
Lains made during the past three
months, but little or none of the
present unemployment will be alb
sorbed for the next three months" >"