SHORTAGE OF LABOUR

Chronicle (Levin), 26 February 1947, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR

Position in Dominion Is Acute The lieccssity to secure tlie maximum coordination in "the use of the available labour foree in New Zealand, to align the claims for labour for public works prograinmes witli the needs for privat'e industry, and to develop liousing and accommodation along lines encouraging the most balaneed distribution of the Dominion 's limited labour forees, was emphasised by the Minister of Employment (Mr. McLagan) in a atatcment. Mr. McLagan reviewed the factors affecting the supply of labour, and stated that the country was facing an acute shortage, as the decline in the birtli-rate in the 1930 's, the lack of iminigration, and the drop in the training of apprenticcs wero all now bcing felt. "Over the past few months the general trcnd throughout the world has beeu for unemployment, caused by reconversiou, to subsidise and for labour shortages to become more marked, " said the Minister. '"Tliough the rate of unemployment in New Zealand has been very much lower at all stages, the gencral trend has been much the same as elsewhere. "At the cnd of January only 90 mcn and nine women were cnrolled with the National Employment Service for work, tliough the Departmcnt fouud jobs for over 2500 persons during the moulh. Vacancies notiiied to the scrvice at the end of January totalled 11,198 for nien and 12,849 for women, 70 per cent. of the male and 88 pcr cent. of the female vacancies being in the live maia centrcs. Birth-rate Decline. "The depression is still having repercussions, " said the Minister. "Tliere was a marked decline in the birth-rate in the early 1930 's, now rellected in a waning juvonile labour force. In 1930, Govemnient assistauce to immigrants became almost iuoperative, and during the depression there was an exodus oi more tliau 11,000. Tliis loss had not been redressed by further immigration when war broke out in 1939. ' ' The depression rcduccd the nuiubcr of apprenticcs in skilled trades i'roJii 10,227 in 192S to 3329 in 1935. The nuniber did not teach the 10,000 mark again until 1910. Today, therel'ore, there is a shortage of tradesmen. "At the end of January 0(5 per cent. of the 1535 vacancies for mcn in building and construction were for skilled workers. Engineering wanted 1770 skilled mcn to lill 54 pcr cent. of the vacau-'ies notiiied jii the industry. "Moreover, the war caused the loss of more tlian 10,000 young mcn killed in action, and thousands more returned to civilian life unsettled or with disabilities. In addition, there was a loss of training in their occupations of nearlv all those who served in the Armed Eorces. "These legacics fioin the depression and tlie war caiinot readily bc overcomc. They are aggravated, too, by certain other factors. For instanco, the gencral tendcncy towards bettcr education of children has led to a 10 per cent. increase siuce 1938 in the proportion of juveniles in sccondary schools and universities. "All these factors combine to reduce the si/.c of the labour force," continued -Mr. McLagau, "whilc the need of the mument is for increased production to satisfy tlie dcmand for goods and servlces that has aceumulated over the war years. In common with other i-ouutries, New Zealand, therefore, is facing a period of acute labour sliortngies. The revived birth-rate will uot iiegiil to have an elfect ou the labour force for several years. "Immigration will ease the position, Imt it is iinpossible to bring any large nuniber lo New Zealand until our efforts to secure more shipping are successi'ul," lio concluded.