Evening star., 1939-11-24
New High Mark
In Job Placements
SET in October
U. S. Agency Reports
308. 400 as 10000
Are Lost to w. P. A.

With United States Employment
Service job placements reaching a
record high of $685. persons in
= October, the Work Projects Admin
istration today was hoping that
fair portion of its lost legion" of
100000 longtime relief clients who
were dismissed on September l
would be found among those alb
sorbed by private industry.
A survey scheduled for compile
ton by January, is being launched
by the w. P. A., it was announced
by Assistant Commissioner Corning
ton Gill, to determine how many Of
the discharged relief clients found
private jobs, obtained help from
relatives, went on direct local relief
or returned to w. P. A. rolls.
Accompanying the October jump
In private job placements, the So
cial Security Board announced a
decrease last month in the amount
of unemployment benefits paid to
insured workers and in the number
of persons seeking jobs through the
Employment Service.
Half of Continuing Nature.
OF the 3Os,4oO openings in private
industry which were filled, about
half were jobs of a continuing ma
ture, the board reported. The to-
tai was per cent above that of
September and nearly so per cent
higher than in October of 1887 and
1898. During the first 10 months
of this year, more than 2,192,000
jobs in private industry were filled,
an increase of about AZ per cent
over the same period in 1888.
Unemployment was most noted
in the South Atlantic, Middle At
lantic and the West North Central
States. The Pacific Coast was the
only area to show a decrease, pri-
marily because of declines in agri-
cultural placements.
The total number of men and
women registered with the public
employment offices dropped below
5,500,000 by the end Of October, a
decrease of per cent from the pre-
vious month and 80 per cent from
October of last year.
Benefits Total S26, 100000.
Benefit payments to unemployed
workers came to approximately $26,-
100000 in October, a decline of
nearly 81 per cent from September.
Only eight States, Alaska and Ha-
wali reported a larger amount of
benefits than last month.
More than 10000 veterans were
placed in jobs in private industry
The total number of veterans seek
ing work dropped to about 22400O,
which is the lowest number ever re-
ported by the office.
For Maryland the Social Security
Board reported 1871 placed in pri-
vate employment and 834 in public,
For Virginia the corresponding fig
ures were 1853 and 1902. For the
District the figures were 3,424 and
1854
Despite their hopes, w. P. A. off,
cials said they did not believe a ma
jority of those cut from relief rolls
by order of Congress were absorbed
by the early upturn in private en-
ployment. The reason, Mr.. Gill !
said, was that the initial demand |
was chiefly for mechanics and others
skilled in the steel and airplane in
dustries, whereas 10 per cent of
those dismissed from w. P. A. were
unskiiled laborers.
Few w. P. A. Requirements.
Likewise, he added, only a COM
parative handful could have been
re-employed by w. P. A. By law
they had to be off the rolls 80 DAYS
before they could be recertified for
relief, and then they had to wait
until jobs could be found for them.
On September 6, shortly after the |
wholesale dismissals, w. P. A. rolls /
dropped to 1889 low of 1,166,97O !
BY September 30, the number in
creased to 1,788,186. This gain of
62l PIG, Mr.. Gill said, came entirely
from a long waiting list of persons
certified for relief.
Enrolment now has mounted to
100000, or total gain of 10000
since September l. This number,
minus the September requirements,
leaves only 141,814 new enrollees,
among whom Mr.. Gill said the sur
vey would find the first of the lost
legion.
Army and Navy recruiting, he
said, could not absorb many of those
ro,Oht II, tba Co,tar,Lo, .l;.,~.;z
sails, lnasmuch as the average age
Of all w. P. A. workers is 80 years
and those affected by the order were
believed to be somewhat older.
Many to Go on Direct Relief.
Authorities said the January sur
vey likely would show that most of
those dismissed now are supported
by relatives or on direct relief
Current w. P A. enrolment is