The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-18

Washington, Dec. 18-More than 1,500, 900 persons have lost theil jobs since Labor Day and about l. 100000 have had their working hours-and hence their purchasing power-curtailed. t
 At least PAYS, 900 persons who were at work in August will be out of work by the third week in Janu- ary.
 These secret estimates as to the effect of the current business reces- sion on employment have been carefully worked out by some of the governments foremost economist and statisticians.
 Officially, of course, 1t is stated
 that there's no way of telling the
 amount of new unemployment.
 Actually, there has been some
 real effort to find out where the
 country stands and what relief
 needs may amount to next winter
 and spring.
 Indications are that 950,000 persons have been laid of by factories since the beginning of September, about 275,000 in the construction industry and around 210,000 in the transportation and mining industries. That adds up to 1,435,00 and, if the figures are approximately correct, there are other jobless in addition. Buying Power Is Reduced
 The estimated 100000 whose employment has been cut down to two, three or four days a week are an important factor in the business situation because the resultant de- cline in purchasing power accentu- ates the present downward spiral.
 More layofRs are anticipated
 after Christmas Many now work
 ing in the retail, wholesale and
 mail order trade will be released.
 Others now working part-time In
 industry are expected to go off
 payrolls entirely. Some employers
 who have deliberately refrained
 from ore. Christmas layoffs will
 finally break the news. And by
 the middle of January, it's com- puted, agricultural unemployment --largely seasonal - will have reached 45O,0OO.
 The previously cited estimate of 2,475,000 may be conservative. Some government economists be- lieve that the number of "new un- employed" will reach 5000, ,000, 900 by the middle of January.
 Some students of the situation believe the spiral may pause about that time and others do not.
 Job Census Reflects Slump
 The federal unemployment cen- sus directed by John D. Biggers was taken right in the middle of the September- January period and con- seouently will reflect only partially the effect of the business slump.
 Accuracy of this count will de- pend largely on the care with which questionnaire replies are checked as to whether they report actual unemployment.
 Secrecy surrounds the early dis- coveries of those who have access to the compilation process. But 1t can be stated that the number of unemployed already indicated by this census is considerably larger than officials anticipated. WPA Rolls Increasing
 By the first of the year, WPA rolls will be carrying nearly 100000 persons and will reach the peak limit which Administra- tor Harry Hopkins says is possi- ble under the 1937-38 appropria- ton of $l,500,000,000 it now ap- pears. WPA employment is now about 1,575,000 and is increasing rapidly as 350,000 more persons begin to be added to the rolls.
 Congressmen returning from the holidays are expected to increase the pressure already begun by some of them for an additional WPA appropriation. The degree of this pressure is likely to be conditioned by the speed or lag with which the increase in unemployment is reflected on local relief rolls, and the extent to which unemploy- ment insurance systems in nearly half the states serve to keep the new unemployed" off those rolls. Copyright, 1887, NEA Service, Incl