The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-19
UNEMPLOYMENT
M GU N TIN G IN
ILLINOIS STATE
Only Half Applicants
Are Placed
BY LELANDS OLDS
(Fed. Press Industrial Editor)

The extent to which irresponsible
employers move tens of thousands of
workers like pawns from one part of
the world to another and then leave
them stranded to look for jobs in an
overstocked labor market, is revealed
in the January employment report
of the Illinois department of labor.
The labor surplus which has been
developing in the state since last
June jumped in January to the high
est point since March, 1922. During
the month more than 10000 per-
sons applied to the free employment
offices for jobs while places could be
found for less than 10000. Official
| ly the state as a whole showed 1876
persons registered for each 100 jobs
reported vacant. In December l46
persons applied for each 100 jobs.
Laid of Workers.
At the same time the number Of
factory employees in the state fell
INV below the level Of the previous
year. Reports from 1892 employers
with more than 40 per cent Of the
total factory workers Of the stase on
their pay rolls show a decrease of
Is per cent in the total number Of
employees. Since the peak Of employ
ment in June these concerns have laid
off 61a per cent of their workers.
If they are typical of Illinois indus
try as a whole this indicates that over
$1,000 factory workers in the state
have lost their jobs since the middle
of 1923.
Probably the most important
change during the 30-day period, says
the report, has been the collapse Of
car building. On top of the break
in December in this industry the de-
cline Of January left only about three
quarters of the workers on the pay
rolls Of ID reporting employers.
Seasonal Employment.
Employment changes of seasonal
character include decreases of 4.3
per cent in the number employed by
brick concerns and Of per cent in
the furniture factories. Also in
creases of AZ per cent in the number
of employees of millinery establish
ments and of 34.8 per cent in the
women's coats, suit and skirt indus
try. In the mems clothing trades
there was a slight increase following
the 7.6 per cent increase during
December.
Other important changes include
reductions in force amounting to "a
per cent in the steel industry and as
per cent in the slaughtering and
meat packing industry contrasting
with a per cent increase in the num-
Der employed by automobile and ac-
cessory concerns.
Farmers Can't Compete.
The report warns against attribut-
! ing too much Importance to an en-
ployment decline and Quilted labor
market in January. 1t points out
that the overstocked labor market at
time when employment is still fair
ly high is due to an expanded supply
coming from the following four
sources: "a Farmers have been
financially unable to bid against in
dustry for labor and as a result for
mer farm hands have joined the
ranks of unskilled labor in the cities;
~ coal mines in Illinois and ada
cent states have shut down throwing
hundreds out Of work. Many miners
have been driven to the extremity of
| seeking work in the large cities; 81
; Negroes attracted north by improv-
: ing industrial conditions are throng-
ing free employment agencies in Chi
: cago and East St. Louis which are
: the terminals of southern and south
western railroads; (4) Mexican la
borers have come in large numbers
to Chicago and the vicinity where
: they are being used to do the un-
skilled labor in Chicago plants.
/ The. migration during the year
| from these four sources, says the
report, has so swelled the supply of
l. Tabor that when industry contracted
the visible extent Of unemployment
in some of the larger cities approach
ed the condition that exists during
, n dnnraeeiOu