Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-12
Rise in Unemployment
Found Across Nation
Continued From First Pag,

Continued From First Page
ployment was down from No
vemher a year ago.
Benefits paid under the Fed
eral-State unemployment COM
pensation system are helping
tide over idled workers and TO
cushion loss Of buying power
Christmas buying, for example.
stayed UP well despite the job
less gain.
Jobless Benefits
The States have q pool Of
nearly 50 billion to pay jobless
benefits. There is an extra
5000 million fund to help out
any State that runs short. Ben
efits average $40 weekly. rang
ing from SIS to $45 and. in
some instances. higher. But
idle workers rights to benefits
end after a specified period,
usually % weeks.
Some neutrality-suspicious.
steel. auto. electrical and glass
have supplemental unemploy-
ment benefit plans which aug
ment these Government jobless
payments.
These plans cover over 2
million workers. Most undertake
TO boost the State payment by
enough to give the workers SIS
per cent Of their normal take
home pay for four weeks and
so per cent for up to % addi-
tional weeks.
An Associated Press survey Of
the Nations key labor market
and production areas shows
that unemployment in mount
ing fast.
About 6 per cent Of New York
States 6 million workers are
idle. The same proportion holds
true for Pittsburgh. In the De-
troit area it's 8.8 per cent, at
Seattle 10 per cent.
The Government CLASHES an
area with 6 per cent or more
unemployed as DISTRESSED
or in serious economic shape.
When and II countrywide un.
employment tops 4 million. the
Nation as q whole win be in
the distressed" category, af-
fecting 8 per cent Of the So
million-person labor force.
In Texas. 56.223 workers fled
unemployment compensation
claims for the week ended jan
uary 2. doubling the load for
the same week a year ago. Ted
Clifford Of the Texas Employ
ment Commission said "the
total is way beyond our widest
forecasts"
Federal Help In OfRng
Many people look to the
Government-the Administra-
ton and CongreSs-to give the
tagging economy a boost.
But expected increases In
expenditures for missiles. re-
search and other defense items
to match Russia's space con-
quests probably can't come
fast enough to help the econ
omy much In early 1858.
Mrs. fora McCready. re-
search director Of the Seattle
Industrial Council. says peo-
pies attitudes are the impor-
tant thing now.
IF they remain calm. we're
likely to weather this storm
easily she said. IF they
panic. general harm may en-
sue"
Economic indicators began
looking gloomy about mid
1857. some even earlier. They
declined slowly at first, but
with increasing momentum
with the start Of winter.
There's always some degree
OF cold-weather business lull.
But this time the decline APP
pears extra-seasonal.
Everyone is blaming some
one else. Business says labor
costs spurred an infiationary
spiral that is now having a
natural leveling OF. Labor
maintains business creamed of
too much profit and curtailed
purchasing power. Democrats
blame Republican tight
money" policies. Republicans
say business is just having a
normal adjustment after pro-
longed prosperity.
Whatever the cause. the con-
sequences are being felt In vir-
tually every section Of the