Evening star., 1942-11-10
Many Jobs Open
To Delay Draft
0fMarried Men
Need Of SkiIIs in War
Work Critical Here;
Dutu Given on 200, 900
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
With draft boards making it clear
that married men in war-supporting
activities would be deferred longer
than those who are not, the District
Employment Center declared today
there were openings in all types of
war and war-supporting jobs here.
Pointing out that the District is
one of the sc critical labor areas of
the country, Employment Director
Edwin w. Jones said simply, 1--WE
need everything"
The occupational questionnaires
filled out by draft registrants have
revealed so far about 10000 men
with skills in critical activities. OF
this group, all but $500 indicated
they are already on essential jobs.
The remaining $500 have been
called in for interviews.
While Mr.. Jones declined to cite
figures on the number who had
changed to critical jobs as result
of the interviews, he said that the
response has been pretty good"
Data Goes to Job Centers.
About 100000 occupational ques-
tionnaires have been turned in to
the employment service here by
draft boards. OF that total $4,000
of the questionnaires were sent to
Washington from out OF = town
boards whose registrants are work.
ing here.
So far the boards have not sent
in the occupational questionnaires
filled out by the 18 and 10 year olds
who registered in June, but in any
case the employment center is filing
by skills rather than by age groups
or draft eligibility.
IF we had plenty of people" Mr..
Jones explained, 1--WE wouldn't touch
any one eligible for service. We
don't try to get la men, in fact, we
would get 4F men if we could, but
when we reach the point where
there's nobody else to fill the job we
take any one we can get" =
Married men anxious to get into
war activities are becoming frequent
visitors at the employment center,
Mr.. Jones said, but in every case the
center must decide whether the man
should stay on the job he is now
doing.
In deciding each case, whether the
man Is called in for an interview or
comes in to look for a war job, Mr..
Jones explained, the principal factor
Is whether or not the man Is now
using his full skill.
Examples Cited.
For example, filling station at
tendant might be found to have a
mechanic's skill. II that were true,
he would be recommended for a
mechanics Job in the war effort. Or
stenographer might be employed
as a file clerk. Then the employ
ment center, if she was in Govern
ment agency, would recommend to
the Civil Service Commission that
the stenographer be used as one
instead OF as q file clerk.
The employment center breaks the
missionaries into three groups
those with critical skills, that is,
training In work in which there is
now a shortage: those with essential
skills, or training in work where a
shortage might arise, and those who
don't have any skills of use in the
war effort.
In the District, the largest num-
ber of men fall in the third group,
but Mr.. Jones said that the loca-
ton of 10000 men with skills in
critical activities was an enormous
ly high" percentage when one con-
siders that most of the critical skills
are in such industries as munitions
and aircraft manufacture which
have expanded rapidly and for
which there has been little back
ground of training.
Age Limit Broad.
Because of the labor shortage here,
Mr.. Jones said, the age limits have
gone as high as IS and as low as
Is in the white collar jobs. Men
and women. boys and girls, are
needed for manual and clerical jobs,
for work requiring skills or no skills.
All the jobs, Mr.. Jones said, are
war or war supporting. Even in
the field of domestics, the war sup
porting aspect comes in since do
mestics are needed to release women
for war jobs.
The fact that women as we'll as
men are needed and that there is
an unlimited number of openings
for them also has an effect on the
draft status of married men.
Draft officials have indicated that
they expect wives of registrants to
find jobs, if they are able to work
They contend that wives have now
had ample warning that married
men without children face a draft
call within the next few months
and should have been making plans
to support themselves. The number
of openings backs up their conten-
ton that the jobs are there and
draft officials say, will be taken into
consideration when the question Of
actual support is raised.