The Sidney herald., 1959-10-07
Unemployment
Benefits Increase

The number of Montanan
claiming unemployment i~nsuranc,
benefits increased 148 last weel
to a total of 5,341 according IL
Chadwick H. Smith, Chairman Of
the Unemployment Compensation
Commission. This is nearly a
thousand more than the compar-
able week last year when the
claim figure was 1859. Twenty
seven per cent of all claims last
week were filed by women. The
ratio of female claims will rise
during coming months, Smith said,
as many women who work only in
seasonal activities file unemploy-
ment claims during the winter
months.
Two-thirds of the statewide
claims last week came from Butte,
Anaconda, and Great Falls where
i effects of the metal mining dis
pute continue to depress labor
market conditions in those areas.
Butte, although down 66 claims
from the prior week, still had the
highest number of claimants at
1870. The weekly claim decline
there was chiefly attributed to
salaried employees of the Ana
conda Company returning to work
for a two-week period. Claims at
Anaconda were down 10 to a total
of 1,006. A claim increase of 35
az Great Falls last week brought
the total in the Electric City to 704.
Sixteen other local employment
offices reported claim increases
in this order: Missoula, up 33 to
1898; Kalispell, up rs to 243; Liv-
ingston, up Is to Sc; Hamilton, up
IA to SO; Glasgow, as, and Wolf
Point, SO, up 10 each; Bozeman, As,
and Shelby, Al up IL each; Libby,
40, Thompson Falls, So, and Hell
ena, IT'S, up 9 each; Poison, 81,
Havre, 1855 and Miles City, Al up
Z each; Dillon, As and Lewistown,
26, up 6 each.
In addition to Anaconda and
claim declines were also at
Sidney, down 4 to 2, and Cut Bank,
DOWN q 10 OF.
Billings, with 372 claimants, and
Glendive, with only n showed
change from the prior week. !
Outside the strike areas, the
statewide labor market picture last
week pretty much followed normal
patterns for this time of the year,
explained. Rain and snow
caused some temporary lay-offs
in construction, logging, and in the
oil fields, and delayed the start of
some agricultural activities. The
start of the sugar beet harvet be-
gan to add to payrolls in Billings,
Hardin, Sidney and Missoula for
season runs of 60 to 100 days.
Sweet corn harvest and canning
operations were completed in
Billings with many of the idled
plant workers shifting to the sugar
oeet refining scene. The potato
harvest was in full swing in the
3ozeman, Kalispell, Hamilton and
Deer Lodge areas, with many of
he idled Butte miners and their
antilles employed in this seasonal
lctivity. Christmas tree contrac-
ors provided employment offices
the timbered areas of the state
With orders for hundreds of cut
ers, graders, and balers. Openings
or 20 cutters were also received at
he Lewistown office where a
lalispell contractor opened opera
ions there for the first time.
The outlook in trade and SER
ice industries was especially
right in Billings and Great Falls
'here openings this and next
lonth of multi-million dollar
hopping centers will provide en-
loyment for nearly 500 workers.
here was also a bright spot in
lutte where r%eopening of a meat
acking plant will provide i'm
lediate employment for fifty
'orkers with a potential of fifty
lore expected.
A good number of workers were
lthdraWn from the labor market
the last month, Smith explained,
students returned to school and
igratory workers left the state
seasonal activities in agriculture
cared an end.