Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-13
Spending Rise
No Guarantee
OF More Jobs
BY SAM DAWSON
AP Business News Analyak

NEW YORK, (AP) Amer
leans are spending more than
ever. But you couldn't tell 1t
from the jobless figures.
Some industries are increas-
ing output. Others are an
nouncing plans for greatly
increased spending for mod
ernization and new plants. But
the number Of jobs won't in
crease automatically as it once
would.
This is one of the dreariest
aspects Of the final days of
winter.
A brighter one, the spending
figure. comes from retail sales
statistics for February. AT
5000 billion this set a record
high for any month. Amer
leans spent z per cent more
than year ago for goods from
the stores, even though the
rise from January was a slight
or per cent. The monthly fig
ure, seasonally adjusted, has
been above $40 billion since
November.
Durable goods sales is put at
$6.5 billion In February, an 9
per cent gain over the like
1862 month. Nondurable goods
sales at sl3.8 billion is a 8 per
cent increase.
Helping the rise In February
was the growing inclination Of
Americans to buy more on
time. Outstanding instalment
credit has been gaining at an
average rate Of $500 million q
month for some time. The to-
tai is approaching the $40 bill
lion mark. Much Of the in
crease in recent months Is
linked to the high total Of auto
sales.
Steel Output Rises
Total industrial production
has remained slightly below
the late fall peak. But some
industries are increasing out
put, notably steel.
For six weeks running, mills
have turned out more tonnage
than the preceding period. That
| is the longest climb in 10
months It has pushed produc-
ton to an estimated 10 per
cent Of capacity.
Mills are looking for o Is
per cent increase this month
over last in shipments, and a
still further advance in April
Expectations are based on a
rising volume of new orders
Some Of these are for steel
needed in expanding produc-
ton plans of the customers
Others are for stockpiling
against the outside chance the
steelworkers might strike late
in the summer, If they reopen
their labor contract for wage
hikes and fail to reach an &C.
cord.
Some steel mills have fired
up once idled furnaces. A few
shutdown plants have started
up again. Some new facilities
are coming into use. This has
led to recall Of some laid-ofi
steel workers, and in a few
cases to the hiring of new men
Prospects Not Rosy
But through industry as O
whole. the prospects are less
rosy for the jobless. Many
manufacturers can speed up
production with the same num-
Der of workers they now have
Others can lengthen work
weeks without new hiring
Many plants are bringing in
to use new equipment that car
turn out more goods with the
same Cor even fewer) number
of workers.
Any spring squirt in total
industrial production may vel
be accomplished without the
hiring which accompanied
such increases in the days be.
fore automation was so wide
spread.
And all the time the labol
force is increasing. The popula.
ton explosion Of the 1910 /,
bringing. year by year. more
young men and women to the
ranks Of the job seekers.
! Times can look mighty
prosperous II you study the
production and sales figures
They can look much different
II you concentrate on the ris.
ing nercentapo nf the Iaho,