The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-04-13
Unemployed List
Numbers ll,47O,O0O
A.F.L. Says 7.278.000 House.
holds Receiving Some
Form Of Federal Aid

is imposed upon millions of unem.
ployed workers and their families be.
cause Of the refusal of those who owr
and control American industry tC
shorten the hours of labor and thus
provide jobs for all the able-bodieC
jobless, is trenchantly revealed by the
estimate of the American Federation
Of Labor that II 1,470,CCO working mer
and women are now in the unemployed
army.
Although the number of employees
whom employers refuse to hire has
decreased during 1889, the total mum
ber of jobless is practically the same
now as it was year ago.
Under the title what the Figures
Tell" the American Federation OF
Labor gives the following analysis OF
the unemployment and relief situa-
ton:
Employment Gains
Employment reports for the first
quarter of 1889 show strong con
trast to last year. In 1888, trade
unions reported unemployment in
creasing steadily each month in the
first quarter, while in 1899 the tables
have been turned and each month
since January is showing more back
at work. The weighted figures are as
follows, showing the per cent of mem
January, 1873 per cent; February, 12.7
per cent; March, 1910 per cent. Last
year: January, 1862 per cent; March
l7.2 per cent.
"Trade union figures also show that
employment gains have not yet been
large enough to restore the losses of
the 1888 recession. Last March, AZ
per cent of our building tradesmen
were out of work; this year building
unemployment has been reduced tc
33 per cent, but this is still above the
1887 level when only 20 per cent were
out of work in March. In metal
trades, 1888 losses have been even
harder to regain. Figures for March
show: 10 per cent of the metal trades
membership out of work, compared tc
"a per cent last year, and only 9 per
cent in 1887. In printing, unemploy-
ment has dropped from Is per cent
last year to IL per cent this year in
March, but is still above 1887 when
only 10 per cent were out of work
Union Members Fare Best
"The Federation unemployment es-
innate for all workers in the United
States continues to show that work
ers in general have Jared much worse
than trade union members. While
union unemployment is now well be-
low last years depression levels, un-
employment of all workers is still
above last year. Our estimate for
February, 1889, shows 1l,470,O0O out
of work, compared with IL ,123,0OO in
February last year and 100000 in
February, 1887.
Gains by Industries
Nevertheless there have been very
ment situation this year, contrasting
with the layof's which were still wide
spread at this time last year. In Feb
ruary, 1889, 10000 went back to
work, while 100000 were laid off in
February last year. Farmers took or
10000 this year with the opening of
spring work, compared to only 1l9,OCC
last year. Factories took back $4,000
this year, compared to only 2S0O0 last
year Railroads took on 10000 this
year, laid off 10000 last year. Goa!
mines took on 4,0C0 this year, laid off
$500 last year. In building and in
trade, lay-otfs were still continuing in
February but were much smaller than
last year.
No Improvement Since 1885
Gwen with these gains, however,
unemployment is still at the levels of
early 1885. In the 1888 recession, an
unemployment peak was reached in
May and June, with II 100000 out of
work. In the late summer and fall,
more than 100000 went back to
work and reduced the figure to lO,-
100000 in October Winter unemploy-
ment in January completely cancelled
these gains, bringing the figure to
| $50 600, and February improvement
still leaves us with ll,470,0O0 out of
work. This compares with l1,Al9,OO0
in February, 1885.
WPA Projects Curtailed
During this winters unemployment
crisis, WPA work has been curtaied,
not increased. On November 10, s.
243,5C0 were on WPA rolls; by De-
cember 81, this figure had been re-
duced to 3,0Sl 600, and by January 2S
further reductions had brought it to
2,973,CO0. An increase of 3,OO9,O ,OOO by
March II was too small and too late
to meet the winter need.
Millions on Relief
"Relief rolls did not rise enough to
make up for the failure of WPA.
From 100000 households receiving
direct relief in December the figure
rose to 1,762,000 in January-adding
only $4,000 households. In February
1889, there were 7,27S,0OO households
receiving relief or WPA or other Fed
eral aid, compared to 7,23S,OC0 in De-
cember, 1893, and Gill 900 in Febru-
airy 1888"
~1>I CL L. D