Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-21
1900 FIRMS SHOW
EMPLOYMENT GAIN,
LAMONT REPORTS
Commerce Secretary and Re-
lief Agencies Encouraged
by February Figures.
PEAK OF J0BLESS PUT
AT 6,05O,000 IN JANUARY
Denver's Rating Best Among Cities
in Crisis-Detroit Had Most
Out Of Work.
By the Associated Press.

SS the Associated Press.
encouraged by new data placing the
number Of unemployed in January at
6,O5O,0OO, but showing more recent signs
OF business improvement, relief agencies
plugged along today In their efforts to
Keep joblesSness at a minimum.
secretary Lamont estimated that
numbers Of persons were out of work
able to work and looking for work the
first month Of the year. He based his
inquire. on two reports simultaneously
issued by the Census Bureau. One gave
revised unemployment totals for the
1880 census taken last April as 2,24e .oe2
out OF q 122,755,o4 population. The
other was a special January, 1881, IN
employment count, covering 10 cities
with population Of 20,63s, s8l, which
showed 1,930.666 hunting work. Both
these unemployment totals include only
those seeking jobs.
Since the special January census was
made. Lamont said, there has been
improvement in the employment sit
uation." BIZ
February Shows Gain.
Information obtained from more
IMAM $4,000 manufacturing establish
ments by the Bureau of Labor Stats
tcs' ne said, reveals a gain of Ia
per cent In the number Of employed
during February as compared with jan
uary. In addition, further evidence of
increased employment during February
Is SHOWN 1V = yofV1 ~
the volume OF wage payments of these
manufacturing establishments, indicat-
ing decrease of part-time work and
an expansion of operating schedules.
The fact that the extensive unem-
ployment OF the past few months has
brought forth such effective relief ac-
civities, keeping distress at a minimum
demonstration Of the success Of
organized cooperative efforts in hun
dreds OF communities throughout the
entire Nation.
To the extent that the need for con-
tlnued effort on the part OF these com
mu1ity groups may be called for, there
- assurance that the problem win be
met with the same spirit and vigor that
has characterized community efforts
thus lar during the emergency"
Detroit Figures Cited.
He estimated unemployment gradual
~ had increased from the 2,249. O62
SHOWN BY the regular April census to
1900, 900 last December.
The Census Bureau found that last
April there were 1885 persons laid
on without pay. I'll SOL iobiess and
unable to work, 273,58S idle because
Of illness. 1898 not looking for work.
Ss'SS2 voluntarily idle without pay and
1885 on vacation.
It It said Detroit. with $50 500
population, had the greatest percentages
OF unemployment as shown by the spe-
cial January tabulation. The jobiess
there constituted Ill per cent of the
workers.
Cleveland and Chicago had II uer
cent OF their populations idle. The
Cleveland gainful workers percentage
was Isl, while this figure for Chicago
had not been completed.
Denver's Showing Best.
To Denver, Colo, went the honor of
having the smallest percentages, SO
OF theh total population and I5.3 of the
gainful workers being jobless.
The final April census gave the uer-
centage Of gainful workers as "probablv
not far from 40 per cent" varying from
81 IN North Dakota to 48.5 in Nevada,
1t also set the percentage of those out
OF a job, able TO work and looking for
employment as varying from 0.5 in
South Dakota and Mississippi to 3.3 in
Rhode Island and Michigan.
The January figures for other classes
In the 10 cities were: 1852 laid of
without pay, Al, 294 jobless and unable
to work, 46,067 idle because of illness,
1906 not looking for work, 1906
Continued on Page 2. Column a.