Evening star., 1929-12-18
EMPLOYMENT HELD
! OWN IN NOVEMBER
Observer Bases Estimate on
Figures Taken From 35, 900
Establishments.

The first official figures available or
unemployment since the stock market
decline show that there has not been
very much variation IN November OF
this year as compared with a year ago
The level Of employment in manufac-
turing industries was just siX-tenthS of
per cent lower than November, 1923
Employees earnings were just per cent
smaller.
November is ctlstomarily a month of
declining employment, according to the
Bureau of Labor statistics, while pay
roll totals "are further diminished by
observance of Armistice day, election
day and some church celebrations"
This is one reason why November
usually shows a decline as compared
with October and this year was no
exception, since employment decreased
31-10 per cent in November as COM
pared with the preceding month. The
retail trade, however, as well as btu
Tninous coal and metalliferous mining
groups each showed increased employ
Fnent over October. while the whole
sale trade showed practically unchanged
employment
Decreases More Than Offset.
These figures are particularly sig
nificant in view of the apprehension
III
stock market crash would bring on un-
employment.
The reports are based on returns
from about thirty-five thousand estab-
lishments, which had in November more
than five million employees. whose COM
bined earnings in one week were ap-
proximately $l34000,000.
While the general averages of en-
ployment have shown relatively little
change it does not mean that there have
not been some material readjustmentS.
In the IL months ending with Novem-
Der, 1929, there have been increases of
81 $40 per cent in shipbuilding en-
ployment, 81 Clio per cent in electrical
machinery, Is 9-10 per cent in pc
troleum and Is 6-l0 per cent in machine
tools, while the greatest decreases were
in automobile employment, namely
% lilo per cent: automobile tire COM
panies, 20 9-10 per cent; pianos, II lilo
per cent, and millWork, 1913 per cent.
This means that there was gradual
decrease in employment during the year
in certain industries which was more
than made up for in most instances by
increased employment in other indus
tries.
Iron and Steel Employment Ahead.
1t is significant to note that in No
vember, 1929, nearly II 900 manufactur-
ing establishments reported an aver
age of SO per cent of full normal
force of employees who were working
an average of 81 per cent of full time
Employment in the food industry i'll
November of this year. as compared TO
last year, showed practically no change
while in hosiery and knit goods, car
pets and rugs and certain textiles and
their by-products, there we're increases
as compared With a year ago. Here
and there there were fractional changes
downward which are not regarded as
evidence of any vital change.
It is noteworthy that in the iron and
steel group, November of this year
showed a substS ntial increase in en-
ployment on structural iron work, foun-
dry and machine shop products and a
big jump in the employment on ma
chine tools.
Lumber and its by-products showed
some decreases in employment, but
leather, including boots and shoes, re-
Quired more workmen this year than
last year. The same is true of paper
and printing and chemicals and allied
products. Other industries such as
shipbuilding and the making of eiec-
trical machinery and apparatus regist-
cred abnormal increases in employment
as we'll as in pay roll totals.
On the whole the showing was re-
garded as rather encours ging and as an
indication that the fundamentals of
American business continued through
out November along normal lines, not
withStanding the stock market decline
IN the latter part of october. D. L.
(CopyriRht, 1920