Evening star., 1941-06-25
Employers in District
Have Trouble Findinq
Qualified Workers
Need for requirements
Runs Ahead of Supply
In Several Fields
Ry OLIVER MCKEE.

BY OLIVER MCKEE.
With the defense program Great
Ing tens of thousands of new Gov
ernment jobs, private employers in
the District are having difficulty in
finding qualified persons to replace
those who have entered the Fed
eral service. A canvass of Govern
ment and private agencies reveals
shortages in many lines, including
domestic servants, restaurant
workers, Office help and department
store and specially shop workers.
Demand is reported running
ahead of supply, and it takes time
TO obtain the desired requirements.
The range of choice is more limited
than it was a few years ago.
According to the latest estimates
of the Labor Department, employ
ment in the District increased $4,000
between April 1910, and April, 1941.
Federal employment probably aC-
counted for $4,000 of this increase.
Many persons privately employed in
the District have obtained Federal
Jobs since the start of the prepared
ness program.
Draft Affects Situation.
The draft. too. has had an effect
on private employment in the Dis
trlCt, as in other cities. Thousands
of young men have been, or soon
will be, called to the colors, and this
means an increase in the number of
jobs to be filled.
Department and speciality stores
and other private concerns are
facing a serious problem in recruitl
ing qualified workers to replace
those who have taken Government
Jobs or who have been drafted into
the Army Edward D. Shaw. sec
retary for the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association, de-
Clared.
1t is an old saying that an army
travels on its stomach. Always a
big business in Washington. eating
has become an even bigger industry
here as a result of the influx of de-
tense workers. The District today
has approximately 1000 public
eating places, an increase of 100 or
more during the past six months.
And the number continues to grow.
District restaurants are confronted
with a shortage of qualified workers,
officials of the Washington Restau-
rant Association disclosed yesterday.
Employment Spirals.
Nod RI
IS reported running ahead of the
supply. AS in the World War. many
women are taking jobs outside the
home. This has increased the de-
mand for domestic workers.
If the present emergency con-
tlnues, employment experts in Wash
lngton and elsewhere expect an in
creaSlng number of women workers.
During the Christmas rush. for eX-
ample, the District Post Office en-
ploys a large number of temporary
workers, most of them boys and
young men. On account of the
draft, which will place in the Army
substantial proportion of young
men in the early 2Os, employment
officials believe that many women
must necessarily be hired for tenn
porary Jobs of this kind.
Private employment agencies re-
port shortages in many types of
workers, both Office and domestic.
Trained employees have little diff
Guilty in getting jobs. The defense
program has attracted to Washing
ton job seekers from many other
cities. The great bulk of these are
looking for permanent billet on
Uncle Sans payroll, rather than
with a private employer.
Shortages in Many Lines.
Though there are always some oc-
cupational shortages, these short
ages are greater in number and
more serious than in other years,
Edwin Jones, director of the D. C.
Employment Center, declared. His
biggest problem is to provide Dis
trlct empowers with requirements
for men ana women who have OBJ
tanned Fe1eral jobs.
Two years ago $4,000 persons were
registered at the District Employ
ment Center as seeking employ
ment. To-day, the active file num-
bers approximately 24,OOO. Some Of
those registered are now employed,
and are looking for other and better
jobs. The list include about 1900
separate occupational classifca-
tions.
Washington is a favorite stopping
place for migrants from South to
North, and West to East Among
those who have registered are textile
workers, coal miners, shoe and
other industrial workers. To lob
seekers from other sections who are
attracted to Washington by reports
OF the award of large defense con-
tracts, employment officials en-
phaSlze the fact that the contracts
create no jobs in Washington. The
best opportunity to get jobs is in
the area where defense production
actually takes place, they point out.
Many men and women with pro-
1eSSlonal training are included on
the registration lists at the District
Employment Center. Among these
are engineers, accountants, LAWYERS
and auditors. A few days ago the
center received a call for five doctors
for industrial health work in an
other city.
L. 5. Hires Through Center.
The center receives some calls
from the Government, chiefly for
temporary workers. Last year the
Government accounted for approx
mately II per cent of its placements
and from present indications the
proportion this year will be as high.
if not higher.
Seven years ago the center found
jobs for 5000 persons. This year
the total is expected to reach $4,000.
Placements of domestic workers
average about $500 a month. If
available, many more domestic serv-
ants could be placed, so great is the
demand for household workers, Di-
rector Jones said.
otc IN, Uoha