Evening star., 1950-03-26
Stem Unemployment
Before Il Is Too
Late,' AFL Demands
BY the Associoted Press

The American Federation of
Labor issued an imperative" call
yesterday for action to stem ris-
ing United States unemployment
before it is too late"
The labor organization said in
It's monthly economic survey that
million more workers are Job
less today than in the first three
months of either 1947 or 1876.
"Only a small part of this un-
employment is seasonal" it said.
The Government, at the same
time, warned this years record
crop of 1,750,000 high school and
college graduates that they face
the toughest competition for Jobs
since the early 1940's.
The Census Bureau has re-
ported the number of unemployed
creeping toward 5 million. The
total number in the Nations work
force (those holding jobs and
looking for jobs was estimated
at So million.
BIS Issues Two Reports.
The Labor Departments Bu-
reau OF Labor Statistics issued
two reports yesterday bearing on
the situation:
l. Industrial and commercial
employment in February dropped
$4,000 from the January figure
to a total of Alt million, with
two-thirds of the decline traceable
to the coal and auto strikes. How
ever, manufacturing jobs passed
the 14-million mark and would
have gone much higher were it
not for the strike of 10000
Chrysler workers.
2. Weekly earnings of factory
production workers continued at
the record level of $56.37 in mid
February. The average work week
was 1877 hours. rejecting an ex-
pansion OF hours in heavier indus
tries.
But the AFL cautioned that "it
is imperative to check unemploy-
ment now."
Full Employment Possible.
II responsible groups act now,
in those communities where a sig
nif1cant number cannot find
work" the AFL said, "it will be
entirely possible to restore full
employment within the next IL
months by creating useful jobs
which will enrich community life.
But if unemployment is al
lowed to increase it will be too
, late to stem the tide.
THE number of areas report
:. ing 10 per cent or more of their
labor force out of work has risen
from 80 in December, 1949, to 43
in January. 1850.
I'm more than half the other
important industrial centers from
Z to IL per cent of the labor force
are unemployed; only a small
part of this unemployment is
seasonal.
Bureau Issues "Job Guide"
The Labor Departments Bureau
of Employment Security was so
concerned about the prospect of
new workers that it issued a hand
book titled "Job Guide for Young
Workers" and made it available
at the 1900 local Offices of the
United States and the State En-
ployment Services.
Bureau Director Robert G. |
Goodwin said the Nations econ /
omy is not developing new Job op-
portunities "as rapidly as our edu-
cational institutions are preparing
young people for their first jobs
THE most numerous opportuni-
ties for young workers this year
are not in glamor occupations and |
industries nor in jobs that neces-
sarily require high degrees of skill
and training" Mr.. Goodwin said. |
For the most part they are
entry jobs requiring little expert
ence and training but which offer
opportunities for ambitious work.
ers to get started in industry"
Most jobs will be requirements,
rather than new jobs resulting
from business or industrial ex-
pansion, he added. The AFL sur
vey backed that up,