Evening star., 1941-03-14
National Registration
0fSkiIIed Workers
To Begin Tomorrow
Voluntary Program
Asked by Defense Chiefs
To Locute All Available


McNUtt, motivated by what he
termed a growing concern over the
adequacy Of the available skilled
labor supply today announced
Nationwide registration of skilled
workers would open tomorrow at the
request of the Office of Production
Management.
simultaneously. the Social Secur-
ity Board made public an appeal by
Sidney Hillman. associate director
general of O. P NJ, to all such
available workers to register with
the United States Employment
Service Of the board and its affl-
lated State employment services,
which will conduct the registration.
The move is an effort to locate
all available workers to prepare for
the greatly increased demand for
defense workers expected within the
next few months. and to meet the
growing shortages of skilled labor
in certain occuoatlOns in tn air.
craft. shipbuilding and machine
shopc and machine tool industries.
Mr. McNutt said.
1,50C 900 Workers May Be Added
Al 3 press conference yesterday,
Chairman Arthur J. Altmeyer of
the Social Security Board. estimated
that 100000 to 100000 workers
will be added to the active files Of
the employment services through
the registration. This. he said. would
put the total in the active files be-
tween 100000 % 6.500.000 skilled
and unskilled workers.
Mr. Altmeyer told reporters short
ages are developing in about 80
occupations in such defense indus
tries as shipbuilding, aircraft, ma
chine shops and machinery manu-
featuring. but declared they are
not serious at present. No defense
industries are seriously handicapped
today by lack of skilled employees.
he said.
He indicated that the registration
plan has been worked out to avoid
any need for a labor priorities sys-
TEN. 1t is the Governments policy,
he SAID, to avoid any necessity for
labor prorities.
Nj Altmeyer said the boards
employment agencies have been
making placements at a rate of
about 100000 a month, but he esti-
mated that during the next quarter.
placements would jump to between
37500o and 100000 a month.
Of the approximately 100000
workers now listed in the active
files, about Is Der cent are skilled
laborers as compared with 20 per
cent a year ago.
Those Asked to Register.
Skilled and experienced workers
IN the following occupations are
asked to register at once. provided
they are not usirg these skills in
their present jobs
In aircraft manufacturing
plane sheet metal workers. airplane
UoodWOrkerS. inspectors and aero
nautical engineers.
In shlpbuilding-ship carpenters,
loftsmen. boatbuiIders, shipftters. |
caulkers and marine machinsts.
Ia machine shops and machinery |
manufacturing - machinists. tool |
makers, lathe operators. die makers |
and tool designers.
Mr., McNutt explained that work !
erS with vital defense skills will not F!
be asked to leave their present Jobs. |
but are asked only to register their
qualifications with the nearest Office
of the State employment service so
that they may be called when and
If needed in an important defense
industry.
Unemployed Asked to Register.
All unemployed men and women
who are able to work also are asked
to register so that defense officials
may have a complete picture of the
country's labor resources in terms of
availability for anticipated Job
openings or for training in defense
occupations.
Announcement of the registration
program followed closely a message
from William S. KnudSen, co-di-
rector Of the o. P. NJ, asking all
employers with defense contracts
to use local State employment offices
to recruit needed labor.
In announcing the program, Mr..
McNutt pointed out that in addition
10 the sharp increase in defense
labor requirements shortly expected,
some 100000 men would be with
drawn from the labor market for
military training by July l. The
United States Employment Service,
he said. is preparing to meet these !
extraordinary demands for labor by
securing, in advance, through it's
registration program, complete in
formation on the number. location
and occupations of all workers fully
qualified for immediate or future
employment.