Evening star., 1933-11-27
RANKS Of JOBLESS
GAIN IN OCTOBER
Green Attributes Situation to
Fact That Many Sought
Work First Time,
~ Ihn lll0rlLr1 RTrNNl

slight increase in American Fed
Grafton OF Labor unemployment totals
last month was attributed today by Will
liam Green to reports that more men
were seeking work.
The Federation president said pre-
lirninary reports showed 1o,076.O00 out
of work in October, a figure 1l,OO0
higher than Septembers total. Then
he added
fact that although employment gained
a little in October the gain was not
enough to absorb those seeking work
Tor the first time
He warned that "Wholehearted CO.
operation of our entire cltizenry Will
be needed during the worst months OF
Winter and asserted that the IN. r. A
program is keeping the employment
situation under better control than Is
usual at this time of year
Ordinarily. he said, October shows a
seasonal decrease of about 100000 in the
number of men at work. The one ex-
ception since 1928 was last year, he
added. when there vas an unusual
business increase.
Sees Favorable Factors.
Despite the large number of jobless'
Green reported a substantial number
Of favorable factors:
Average wages increased slightly from
September to October, amounting to
$l2O a month, or IA per cent.
Cost of living rose only l2 OF / per
cent. slightly reducing the individual
workers loss of real income since
March, bringing this down to IL per
cent.
Dollar buying power of workers in
October was s60O,000,000 per month
above March.
Real buying power that is, increased
wages reduced by increased cost of liv-
ing, rose 231 per cent above the March
level.
The Union reports on employment
showed that in the first part of No
vembor 2l.8 per cent of the member
ship was out of work. instead of o.
per cent the month before. The fed
Grafton reported employment changes at
the end OF October to involve.
Lay-offs: $4,000 on farms; $4,000 in
canneries: 1000 on railroads; 10 900 in
hotels and laundries.
Trade Employment Up.
New employment: l25,OOO in whole
sale and retail trade; several small
amounts in other industries.
In November l3 cities reported en-
ployment gains one no change, and
10 growing unemployment.
Taking the combined Government
and Union figures. Green said:
Both these records indicate that the
N. R. A. program is keeping the employ
ment situation under better control
than IS usual at this time of the year
Only once since the depression be-
gan has unemployment failed to in
crease by at least 100000 from Septem-
Der to October. The one exception was
last year with its October business in
crease In November trade union re-
ports have always (since 1929 shown
an unemployment increase. Often the
increase affected at least l per cent of
the membership or more
Part-Time Work Given.
The effort of employers to keep their
men at work, even if only on part time
is indicated by union part-time figures,
which have shown an increase in part
time work in both October and Novem-
Der. The number of union members
on part time has risen from 20 per cent
in September to 81 per cent in October
and % per cent in November"
The figures on total unemployment
for September, October and November
IN the past four years show:
September-193O. 4150.0OO: 1881. T.
3O3 ,OGO; 1882, 11,767 900; 1898, TO-
065 00O
OctCber-l93O, 1859 900; 1881. 7.778.-
900: 1892, 1885 900: 1893. 1O.O76,OoO
November-1930. 5.364o 900; 1881, g.
500 900: 1882. II .oO8 600
The peak on the A. F. of L. figures
is for March Of this year, with l3,609,-
600 out of work.