Evening star., 1938-01-02
By the Associated Press.


throughout the country.
By the Associated Press.
The national unemployment CEN
sus informed President Roosevelt last
night that the total OF the Nation
unemployed lay between 1922, ,9l2 and
. possible maximum Of 10,870000.
Its findings were based on the fact
a voluntary registration of the unem-
ployed conducted between November
is and November 20. 1887. showed
7,822,9l2 to be, by their own testi-
mony, out of work and wanting work,
while complementary house-to- house
canvas in selected areas indicated this
total was but 70 per cent complete.
In making this report to the Chief
Executive. John D. Biggers, admins
traitor of the census. said it was i'm
portant to Year in mind that lit is not
to be assumed that because certain
number of people are jobless the same
number of jobs must be created to
bring a return to normal conditions. u
He added:
When the usual family breadwin-
ner is idle, two or perhaps more men,
bers Of the family may enter the labor
market. Conversely. when the bread
winner is satisfactorily re-employed,
other members Of the family may
withdraw from the labor market.
Then, too, you recognize, but it
should perhaps be emphasized, that
the number of people who reported
themselves as unemployed should not
be confused with the number of peo-
pie who need financial assistance or
relief. Many people consider them
selves unemployed who are financially
not compelled to work.
Irrespective Of their need, when
they seek employment, they enter the
labor market and compete with others
who have jobs or vitality need jobs.
They are. therefore, a factor in the
unemployment problem, though they
may never seek relief"
1,996,699 Women on List.
OF the 7,s22,e12 who reported them
selves unemployed, a total of 2,001,-
877 were emergency relief workers.
Women who voluntarily registered as
out Of work comprised 1,996.699. in
cluding those doing emergency relief
work.
Best comparison for the Biggers
unemployment figures are those of
the National Industrial Conference
Board and the American Fedora
ton of Labor. two most widely
quoted estimates in recent years.
Reporting as of November, when
the Government census was taken,
the A. F. Of L. estimated unem-
ployment between 8,5O0,000 and g.
100000. A month earlier the In
dustrial Conference Board esti-
mated jobless totaling $685., 900.
Estimates of sharply increasing
unemployment in recent months
have come from several sources.
The A. F. of L., for instance,
estimated that 725,0OO jobs were
lost during the month of Novem-
Der. For the same period Secre-
tary OF Labor Perkins reported that
$4,000 persons had been dropped
from industry pay rolls alone.
And from Leon Henderson, eco
nomist for the w. P. A., came the
estimate that 100000 jobs had
been lost since September l, with
another million likely to become
unemployed before the end of Feb
ruary. Neither the Department Of
Labor nor the w. P. A. made esti-
mates of total unemployment.
CAT the depth of the depression
about 100000 are believed to
have been unemployed)
Divided in Two Glasses.
"The unemployed" Biggers' lette,
TO the President said, may be di-
vided into two classes One class rep
fesents those regular workers for
wages who always work, when work
Is available, regardless of their i'm.
mediate economic status. = =
There is also a second group, con.
sisting of those who are not regular
workers for wages, such as house
wives who seek wage jobs only wher
the family breadwinner is idle; daugh.
ters or sons who take jobs through
choice, rather than necessity; unpaic
family workers on farms and in fam.
lily stores, who seek wage jobs only
when family income needs augment.
Ing: retired people who, because saw.
lngs have been depleted, decide Il
enter the labor market again.
ITO this class unemployment is 6
status depending on their current In.
clinations and temporary economic
conditions.
This second group, made up Of the
occasional workers for wages, might
not take the trouble to respond to Q
voluntary registration, but might
readily be reminded to relate to Z
census enumerator their current in.
clination to work. For example, thu
proportion Of women who reported
themselves as unemployed was greater
In the enumerative census than in tn.
registration, though both exceed tn,
percentage Of women reporting as un'
employed in the 1880 census. It i
expected that our detailed analysil
(see JOBLEss, Page A-5.)