The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-13
Declines Overshadow
 Employment Increases
Levelling Process in Waterbury Especially Noted in
 Labor Commissioners Official Report

Hartford. Conn, Dec. lS-on the basis of reports received from the l8 field offices of the Connecticut State Employment Service, State Labor Commissioner Cornelius J. Danaher stated today that, for the first time since defense activity got under way in this state, industrial employment increases are being overshadowed by employment de. elines, actual and anticipated.
 These reports were based on labor and industrial conditions during No. vember and prior to the declaration of war, Mir. Danaher stated. and gave as his opinion that, with the new ylgor with which the defense program is to be prosecuted, the trend indicated will probably be quickly arrested and the upward spiral of employment and produc- ton resumed.
 Layoffs have not been severe dur ing November as they involved only c few hundred workers, but Q great or number are now being employed at reduced hours and further lay- offs, estimated as high as 10000 workers, are anticipated by March, principally in non.ferrous metals, hardware and clock manufacturing, Particularly affected are the Nau. gatuck Valley brass and copper plants.
 Labor shortage is now principal " confined to skilled metal trades workers, particularly for machine tool manufacturers, which continue to increase employment. Firearms and ammunition plants are hiring for replacement rather than expan- sion, while nonfeTous metal plants anticipate further employment de- clineS.
 slackening of the tempo in hlr. lngs has also been due In some inc stances to the fact that many manufacturers have reached pres- ent plant capacity and increased production will have to come about: l. Through plant equipment addi- tions. 2. By lengthenihg the work week and by the addition of other working shifts. This In turn will en- tail the problem of. procuring skilled machiniSts and other trained oper- ators. According to best reports available the number of skilled machine operators not employed is nil and any further augmentlng of defense industries must come about by transfer of these workers from noll- essential industries.
 The State Employment Service is at present conducting a campaign to induce skilled workers to make themselves available for defense industries, if they are not now so employed.
 There seems to be no present in- crease in migration, the peak of out-of-state applicants having been reached several months ago.
 Reports generally indicate that discharged inductees. are being re- absorbed with no difficulty. Ansonia
 The general concensus in this area is that there will be no imme- 6iate large scale layoffs in the brass and copper industries, but that ma terials shortages may result in fewer working hours and sporadic scale layoffs, unless materials are forth coming.
 The general feeling of uncertalnty has affected the number of hirinRs most employers feeling that, # tho materials situation is cleared up there will be continued aceeleration
 Waterbury
 The leveling process in industria work which has been evident for ths [ post three months now seems Co hay, developed into a preclpitous drop With layoI1s oceurflne in both ds.