The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-18
SKILLED M [ N
 ARE DESIRED
 IN MANY LINES
Marked Shortage Of Labor Noted In Some Fields, Sur- plus In 0thers-Agencies Report During Survey
SPECIALIZATION w IN s JOBS, EXPERTS DECLARE
Little Difficulty In Placing Persons Who Can Do One Thing Well, Informed Work CTS Tell Reporter

If you are a skilled workman, no matter what your particular work may be. there are plenty of good jobs to be had in Birmingham and h1 h1oughout Alabama; but if you happcn' to fall into that general class of people who can do any, thing but can do nothing well, your chance of getting a good job is much less. That is the composite opin- ion expressed by federal and city employment experts who daily re- ceive hundreds of applications for jobs from the unemployed and re- quests for job-fiIlers from business firms and others needing help.
 In some fields there Is marked shortage of labor, while in others tl.ere is a surplus.The general situ- alton at present is said to be apout normal for this season of the year. Tie city employment bureau repor:s that there is an average of about geo applicants there a day for jobs, most of them seeking work as un- skilled laborers. The demand for white collar" jobs has been in ex- cess Of the supply, but there has been little difficulty in placing ex- pert stenographers, accountants, of- flee managers and similar special~ ists. One of the leading private employment agencies reported that the shortage was especially acute among male stenographers and archi- tectural draughtsmen, but agreed with the other employment experts that there were not enough white collar" jobs to go around except in the case of specialists.
 It should be impressed upon n ent official said recently that this is an age of specialization. This doctrine has been preached for a Ions time and the employment situ~ alton this fall emphasizes it. We have hardly any difficulty in finding a job for a man or woman who can do even one thing well, but the ops posite is true of the fellow who has just general education and tries to do anything that comes handy. Ste- nographers should not be merely stenographers but should know how to take charge of an office if nee- essary. Bookkeepers ought to become expert accountants to be sure of a good job"
 Increase In Labor Supply.
 Birminghams labor supply is al. ways greatly increased at this time of the year by workers, most of them unskilled, migrating south from the north and east. They come from many of the larger cities.
 
 plants there or because of a general restlessness among thousands of Workmen which usually manifests itself in the fall of the year. Many of these men do not care much whether they get jobs or not but are willing to take one if it hap pens to suit their fancy. There are great many jobs open for miners just a few miles from Birmingham, but they do not appeal to these drifters. Instead, they will hang around a few days or weeks and tfen, resume their migration south-
 H. E. Oliver. Birmingham manager of the United States employment service, which is under the depart ment of labor, said a day or two ago that men have applied to him for jobs coming from Detroit, Peoria, Chicago, New York city, Akron, Cleveland. Buffalo, Kansas City and other places. Many also come from Oklahoma and Texas.
 These migratory workers, most ot them in mechanical trades, have tendency to glut the local labor market" he said but their effect is only temporary. We have them every fall, and this year is no ex- ception. The United States employs
 tContinued on Page Two)