The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-19
DUS|NEsSbOOM
HERE FORECAST
DIhEWBU|LD|NG

UNEMPLOYED TOTAL 5000
Demand for Labor Shown to
Be Steadily Increasing,
Federal Agent Says.
BY HARVEY L. COBB.
business in Washington. as re-
3lected In building ana employment
fiGures. show q steady improve
n1ant for the last five weeks.
which promises to grow continu-
ouAly better.
y Building of homes and apart
( ment houses has started a month
md half sooner this year than
lASt.
Psfmits for building--accepted
- a Indication of the trend Of
buntxSess show there wore 1874
more building permits for the
month ended March IS. 1922. than
1or the same period in 1921.
The Valuation Triples.
Total valuation OF building permits
1pr weak ended. March IL. covering
schools, homes apartment houses
and business property. aggregates
Yor the ssame week. last year. Of ST.
The present number Of unemployed
In Washington is estimated to be
1900. compared with nearly twice as
many unemployed ON the same day
last year.
A total number OF 12.440 persons
were placed In employment during
the last eight months by the local
Federal Employment Service, COM
pared to $3.50 during the same period
hst year, indicating the dissemina-
ton OF nearly third more people
IN constructive industry.
During January and February the
local employment office received
more calls for all classes OF skilled
ana unskilled labor than 1t did In
the preceding four months.
Jobs Quickly Provided.
An average OF five to eight weeks
wal. required by the local Federal
Citixens' Employment Bureau to
place an unskilled laborer during
those four months. To-Day the bu-
reau 10 able to find employment for
MI unskilled laborers who apply in
two to three weeks.
Figures OF the employment bu-
reau, which Is located at 1410 Penn
sy1vania avenue. show 1t has been
successful I'm placing 81 per cent of
THE applicants applying there for a
Z position within three weeks. At the
same period last year the bureau
al IN lox, ~
only IS per cent of the applicants.
From these facts and figures Is
based the statement made at the
beginning OF this article that bust
ness In Washington shows a steady
Improvement for, the last five weeks,
with reasonable assurance that 1t
will continue 10 grow better, due to
the Increasing activities In building
trades and other lines of industry.
Unemployment Decreases.
Unemployment in Washington is
90 per cent less this month than it
was last. according to r. l.. Liv.
lngston, director of the Federal Citi-
kens' Employment Bureau, whose
figures more or less accurately re-
fleet local conditions here.
Present conditions warrant the
prediction that things will continue
TO improve In Washington with
the coming Of spring" said Mr..
Livingston.
There is an increasing amount
of building activities in the city,
as reflected by the amount Of
skilled and unskilled labor place
ments. and we are having more and
more calls every day for these.
The bureau has been informed
r. IN 49,
to the Engineer Commissioner, that
street repairing in Washington will
start possibly next week, with
weather permitting. and this will
greatly reduce the unemployment
situation In Washington"
Few, If any of those being en-
ployed through the Federal Enfs
ployment Bureau are being taken
on by the Government. the bureaus
figures show. This is explained by
the fact that practically all Gov.
eminent employees are now coming
under civil service and are there
fore allocated from one bureau to
another.
1886 u. s. Employees Here.
Total number of Federal EN-.
ployes in Washington. according
to figures furnished by the com.
mission, Is 1885 as compared, to
so,659 on July 81, 1890. The figures
show that since July, 1921, there
have been as many additions to
the Federal pay roll as eliminations,
and that during the last eight
months the number of Federal
employees has remained on an even
keel.
The largest classification OF
skilled iaborers out of employment
In Washington. according to the
Federal Bureau's> figures, are me-
chahics. More than 400 mechanics
seeking work are registered with
that bureau. More than 95 per
cent of them were men laid off
~ the navQ yard.
Ant. oInnu I .noUuo