Evening star., 1940-12-02
Additional Thousands
To Find. Jobs in
Defense Drive
Factory Expansion
Is Being Planned
On Huge Scale
By PAUL D. GESNER,
Associated Press Financial Writer

NEW YORK, Dec. 2.--Jobs Tor
additional thousands of workers in
business and industry were forecast
in trade circles today as Americas
factories prepared to open produc-
ton throttles further to cope with
heavy demand for both national
defense and peacetime goods.
The number of workers employed
in non-agricultural lines currently
is estimated at 100000 or more,
the biggest aggregate since 1929,
with the expectation that new men
and women will be added to both
industrial and business personnel
throughout the winter months.
AS an indication of trends to
come, sharp expansion of factory
manufacturing facilities in key lines
is being planned and the chances
are good that over $1,000 900 900 of
Government funds shortly will be
helping the construction. At the
presnt time around S750,000000 of
Government money already has
been allocated for construction OF
defense facilities and a further ap-
preparation of around S350,000,000
may be sought for such building
at the next session of Congress,
Washington observers say.
Skilled Workers Needed.
Construction of additional plant
capacity in aircraft, machine tool
steel and other lines in itself will
create jobs. Then, after the new
factories are finished and machinery
installed. still more workers must
be enlisted in induStry'S ranks to-
operate the plants.
Skilled and Semi-skilled workers
are going to be the crying need in
another six months, the experts
say. Already pressing for skilled
workers are the aircraft and ma
chine tool industries Men to man
machines in these and other de-
fense lines are coming from three
sources: Cd From within the
ranks of the plane and tool in
dustries themselves as semi-skilled
workers become skilled, % from
training schools, and 80 from
the skilled ranks of other industries.
Men familiar with machines, and
skilled in their operation at the
moment are being drawn from
posts in many other lines: Auto
repair shops, food processing plants,
and oil, rubber, glass, iron and
steel and miscellaneous lines.
Training Is Planned.
Official groups already are draw
ing plans for quick training OF new
workers for vital defense lines.
Take airplane and plane engine
manufacture, for instance. The
number of men employed in the
aviation industry in the industrial
area around New York City cur
rently is so times the number en-
ployed in 1887 according to a new
survey by the New York Commit
tee on Engineering Training for
National Defense. The survey pre-
diets that within the next II months
the personnel needs Of the air
craft group of industries may be
three times as great as they are
today.
Noting that aircraft, machine
tool and other key defense lines
already pressing for skilled men
may shortly be drawing down skilled
workers from other industries, and
creating skilled worker shortages
there, too, the committee is draw
ing plans for the quick training OF
new men.
Shortly the committee will an
nounce a plan for short-term in
tensive training of high school grad
yates and selected college students
who have had preparation in the
physical sciences and mathematlcs"
for skilled and Semi-Skilled jobs in
industry that in the ordinary course
of events would be taken by graduate
engineers Details of the plan have
not been disclosed yet, but it is as
sumed that the program will call for
expansion of already existing edu-
cational and mechanical training
facilities
Needed Badly Now.
Now is the time, says a defense
industry executive, for capable engi-
neers, craftsmen and skilled and
semi-skilled workers employed in
non-technical lines or out of work
to start canvaSsing their old contacts
in the industrial field again. Men
are needed now in many lines, but
employers are having difficulty con-
tacting them. And more men will
be needed six months hence, and
still more a year hence if defense
building follows its predicted pattern
And make a note of this: Jobs
are expected to expand shortly in
many industries making ordinary
time consumer goods as well
as in the defense industries. And
here's why:
l. Defense industries shortly will
begin hiring more skilled and capable
workers away from consumer in
dustrles, creating gaps in personnel
there which must be filled, and
2. Demand for peace-t time con-
sumner goods is expected to rise as
broadened employment in the de-
fense industries puts more dollars
in more workers pockets, giving
them more spending money.
The rising tide of money pouring
out in workers pay envelopes at
defense industry plants quickly will
be translated into heavier retail sales
of food, clothing, automobiles, radios,
phonograph records, furniture,
kitchenware, rugs, children's toys
and thousands of other varieties of
ordinary peace-time consumer goods.
It takes men to make peace-time
goods, too.