Evening star., 1939-10-09
Employment,
Wages Gain,
Figures Show
Social Security Boord
Reports ;, 500 Added
To D. c. Pay Rolls

Employment and wages are going
up.
Placements in private industry in
August reached 254,0OO for an all
time high, and the increase in pub
lie employment brought the job
finding total to nearly third of a
million, according to figures from
the Social Security Board. Local.
ly. nearly $500 persons went on
pay rolls.
Concurrently, Administrator FL
mer F. Andrews of the Wage and
Hour Division called attention to
the fact that the minimum wage
payable on goods produced for in
terstate commerce rises from Is TO
80 cents an hour at midnight on
October % as the wage-hour law
enters its second year, while the
work-week for which straight time
must be paid drops from A to AZ
hours.
The August employment increase
was "a per cent higher than in Au-
gust year ago, and was reflected
in decrease of more than % per
cent in new claims for benefits re-
ceived by State unemployment COM
pensation commissions.
Job Payments Increase.
Total unemployed payments, how
ever, were up Is per cent over July
to S44 100000, due principally to
larger outlays in Connecticut, Flo
rida, Illinois, Michigan and Mon
tana. There were moderate increases
in % other States.
The trend was upward here both
in new claims and payments.
Applications for work nationally
totaled 100000, which was IA per
cent above the July level, but the
increase in the number of jobs re-
duced the active file of persons seek
ing work through the public employ
ment offices was cut to the lowest
point since December, 1937-580O,-
600.
Gains IN placements were recorded
generally throughout the country,
with the most marked increases in
the South Atlantic area and the
Pacific Coast.
The District of Columbia reported
3,048 persons added to the pay roll
of private industry for gain of %
per cent over July; public employ
ment totaled AT. The number of
persons seeking employment, how
ever, was up "a per cent the active
file totaling 35,993 as the result of
the addition of 9,781 names.
Virginia Shows Gain.
Virginia found work for 6,793 per-
sons in private industry for a gain
OF 116 per cent, figure that was
exceeded only in North Carolina,
where the advance was 142 per cent.
Public employment totaled 2,925.
The number seeking work dropped
80 per cent to 45,5O7.
In Maryland private employment
was given 1882 persons-an increase
of 6 per cent, while public employ
ment increased l,004. Those seeking
work decreased 81 per cent to So 1850.
There were 1896 unemployment
compensation claims filed here, an
increase of 2 per cent, and payments
totalled sl04,564, an increase of 7.3
over July.
In Maryland the increase was g.
$50 claims, or 231 per cent, and pay
ment totaled S516,752.
In Virginia, there was a decrease
of 1873 per cent, with initial claims
at ITO. Payments were $4l1,214.
Andrews Explains Law.
In bringing to attention the auto
matte changes in the Wage-Hour
Act Administrator Andrews ex-
planned that while the hourly wage
goes from Is to 30 cents at midnight,
Monday, october %, the overtime
schedule of time and one-half for
hours worked in excess of AZ will not
apply until the day the new work
week starts. For example. if the
period begins on the following
Wednesday, it will be on that day the
new schedule starts operating.
In another report, Administrator
Aubrey Williams reported that 500,-
900 students would receive employ
ment under the National Youth Ad-
ministration's aid program, during
the present school year. This will be
the highest number since. the
NJ Y. A. was established.
The upward movement of business
was reflected in a statement by
the National Lumber Manufac-
turers' Association showing lumber
shipments in the week ended Sep
tember 80 were 9 per cent up from
the previous week.