Evening star., 1941-12-28
BY u. L. b. FRINGER,

BALTIMORE, Dec. 27.-Never be-
fore has it been so necessary for the
Maryland State Employment Serv-
ice to search the highways and by
ways for applicants as In the past
year. The tremendous demand for
workers to fill the needs Of defense
employers has reversed the general
trend of the employment service ac-
tivity from seeking openings in
which to place qualified applicants
to recruiting people to fill the con-
stantly increasing number OF jobs.
As result of the recruiting OF ap-
plicants, the new registrations
throughout Maryland for the year
1941 show an increase of 25,523 over
the 1910 figure. In spite of this
large increase in new registrations,
the present file of applicants in Bal
timore available for work is smaller
by 1889 than it was January l,
1941, while the Statewide file for
the same period shows decrease of
20,339 available people.
The majority of job seekers whose
applications are now in the active
file are either unskilled workers or
possess skills which do not fit re-
quirements of national defense in
dustries.
Baltimore Needs 1900.
Within the next six months there
will be 1900 additional workers
needed in Baltimore alone. This
number includes those workers need
ed in the shipbuilding and aircraft
industries according to their present
production plans and does not make
allowances for the increase in en-
ployment which would result if an
expansion is undertaken by these in
dustrieS.
Workers who desire to serve their
country by working in defense in
dustries should register at one of the
Is local Offices of the Maryland
State Employment Service in order
that their abilities may be put to
the best use and that the States
employment needs may be filled,
insofar as is possible, by her own
people.
Since May, 1941. pre-employment
training classes have been sponsored
by the Department of Education,
the National Youth Administration,
and the Work Projects Adminlstra-
ton. These classes have prepared
students for aircraft sheet metal and
woodwork, machine shop, electrical
instrument adjustment and repair,
cabinet making. blacksmith. Welding,
pattern making mechanical drawing
and radio assembly work.
Women, as we'll as men, have been
trained in pre-employment classes
Graduates Of the courses for women
are now at work on defense jobs
Has Placed 1888.
The Maryland State Employment
Service has participated in the selec-
ton of workers for these classes ano
has placed 1888 male and female
graduates in defense industry.
Placements in private industry
made by the State employment
service during the past year in
creased 1851 over the 1910 figure
While these placements were lr
occupations in all fields of work
including clerical, professional, con-
struction. industrial and domestic
EMPLOYMENT, the majority OF them
were in industrial plants.
That the young people OF the
country are Of paramount lmpor.
nf
today is evidenced by the fact that
4.O75 more Junior placements were
made by the employment service IN
the past year than in the preceding
wear. These are persons, usually
under 81. who have either just left
school or who have not sufficient
experience to be considered skilled
in any specific field While industry
has relaxed age limits to include
older workers, an increasingly
greater demand is being felt fol
youth.
Women Replace Men.
More and more employers have
seen the wisdom of using women tc
replace men who have joined the
military services, and to meet the
increas sing demands of expansion
There was So per cent increase II
new registrations of women in the
Maryland State Employment Serv'
Ice In 1941. During the period Jan
uary 1-October /, the employment
service placed 4,445 women in EN-
ployment of which $3.50 were indus
trial placements. Many employer
who have never used women il
their plants now are employing
them and this trend undoubtedl,
will increase.
In instances where workers Il
skilled classifications have beel
needed, and the supply within tn
immediate area or within the Stat
has been eXhaused, the Marylan
Employment service has extende
It's search TO other States throug
an interstate clearance procedur
which has grown to greater promi
nence during the past year. Will
the clearance between the States
not new, its placements in forme
years have been relatively few an
of a specialized nature. But sine
January /, 1941, approximately 1,5C
out-of-Stat people have been place
In defense industries in Marylan
through the interstate clearant
program.
Non-Defense Concerns Aided.
Not only has the State EmplO.
ment Service had to keep abreast
the needs of defense employers, b
it has supplied workers to an IL
creasingly large number OF mol
defense concerns. The Baltimo
Office alone has serviced total
l2.OO9 employers during l941. I'll
list includes every type of occupi
ton in the city as well as 2,05o en-
ployers of domestic workers.
The times have not only add,
to the demands made upon Il
EMPLOYMENT Service, but have tak'
from 1t many of its trained peor
who have accepted attractive ofte
in private industry.
Employment service perSonn
realize that their increased respon;
bilities of the past year are a me
indication of what is to be expecte
and they are redoubling their effol
to supply Maryland with the peor
L