LABOUR MARKET

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 841, 13 June 1910, Page 2

LABOUR MARKET

4 REPORT FOR MONTH. The following notes on labour conditions throughout the Dominion during May are extracted from the Labour Department's Journal, issued on Saturday : — WELLINGTON. Trade generally has been fairly good, and quite up to the usual standard of the season. Building operations were brisk during the early part of tho month, but slackened off somewhat towards tho end. Painting also showed a tendency to decline towards the end of the month. Coachbuilding trades liavo been extremely quiet, and it is said the month just ended has been the slackest experienced for many years. Clothing trades have been good, dressmaking and tailoring especially so. In the former employers have experienced difficulty in getting cuough competent hands. The iron trades remain quiet, with no prospect-of any material improvement. Building trades: Bricklayers fairly good, and several applications for men have been received by the Department. Carpentry and joinery trades have been good, but there are still a few men out of work. Painting busy during the early part of the month, but a fallingoff is now being experienced; there are several men out of work. Plastering fairly good; there are few men idle. Plumbing and gasfitting good ; all bands fully employed. Stonemasonry good; factories busy, and no men are reported unemployed. Woodworking trades.: Boxmaking very busy, and there is a demand for good female labour. Cabinetmaking and upholstering good; factories "working full time, and all hands are regularly employed. Coopering very uusy. Sash and door factories fairly good; a slight improvement- is being experienced. Sawmilling, is a little better than last month. Wood-turning, etc., brisk; hands fully employed. . Engineering trades: Boilermaking only_ fair, with little chance of any immediate improvement. Brass and copper-smithing fairly good. Electrical engineering good, and an improvement on last month is being experienced. Fitting and turning still slack. Iron and brass moulding fairly good, with no change from last month. Rangeniakiiig dull; little ol nothing is being done. Leather trades: 8001-making (iaetorJDs) very busy, and a shortness of labour is being experienced. Bootmilking (repair-shops) busy; plenty of ordora coming in. Saddlery and har-ue-ssinakiiig fairly good. Clothing trades:. Dressmaking and millinery good; factories are working a good deal of overtime;- a shortness of labour is stii'd being experienced. Shirtmaking fairly good. Tailoring (factories) fairly good; some factories are busy, but others are rather slack. Tailoring- (order) good; hands are fully employed, and plenty of work is offer- ■ img. Woollen-milling fairly busy; full thno is being made in tho factories. Retail trades:. Olothug, boots, drapery, and groceries activi., and occupiers report that they are quite satisfied with the amount of trade being done. Printing trades: Bookbinding generally is good, some factories being very busy. Printing fairly busy; there is sufficient work coming in, and employee:! ar* working fyill time. ' Meat-freezing, etc.: Tanming, currying, fellmo-ngering, slaughtering, freezing, and preserving fairly good; little cba.nge from last month "has been, experienced. ... /'Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing fairly good. Coach and carriage build...ing, slack;; some-.shops'havo had to shorten hinds'; "orio'leadirig employer states that this has been the slackest month that has been experienced for years.' '•■''■■ 'v.-. .: { "• .'■ - n Cycle _ and motor trades: Sales are only fair; but repair-work is keeping hands employed. Unskilled labour: Comparing the month with the same.period last year, the number of applications for employmentis considerably less,'and especially is this the case, with married men, who soem to bo, fairly well employed. Mast of the married men applying just at present have been offered employment out of town, but scorn to prefer to rmaiii in the city and take their chance of securing a job locally. There is net the same influx of men from the country districts as obtained last year, and if the country workers do. not'flock to tho towns as is usual the prospects for the winter should be fairly, biiight. .During the period just ended 133 men —62 married and 71 single— with 200 dependants, were sent to employment by the Department. Those assisted comprised carpenters, bricklayers, bushmen, plasterers, painters, and labourers. AUCKLAND. ■ There is practically no chaaige since last month, except for a recent slight fallimg-oIT in retail trade, due doubtless to tho season. CRRISTCHURCH. Generally .there is a slight improvement on the previous month, and up to the present there is nothing to indicate any serious slump in business, or the large .amount of unemployment that obtained at this period of last year. The money-market is certainly more buoyant, a large amount being available for investment. No very serious labour problems are anticipated this winter. The engineering trade has considerably improved, and shows considerably more life; several firms arorather busy," while others have been able to keep their employees on full time; ag-ricultural-implement making also shows an improvement. The freezing-works are still putting large numbers of stock through, tho season is lasting longer, and trade is better than at this time last year. In tho clothing trade fao: torics are busy in all branches. The tailoring trade (order) shows u falling-off,-awl orders are to hand so. freely; however, this state of affairs, is usual for this time of tho year: Confectionery and biscuit-making continue busy. The building trado shows no falling-off, and very few of the good tradesmen are unemployed; the busiest branches are the carpentering and bricklaying. The labour-market is quite buoyant, and up to the present no difficulty lias been experienced in dealing with applications for employment, especially those who are prepared to take any work. offering. DUNEDIN. Conditions have generally been very "ood, even showing an improvement on the satisfactory position of the previous month It was anticipated that in the building trades a slump was imminent; the■ trade has, however", wonderfully revived, and this will be a factor in maintaining the standard of business during the winter months. In the middle of the month a large number of unskilled workers were rendered idle. Strenuous efforts were, however, made to place these men at work, and, with the"assistant given by tho Railway Department, the Drainage Board, and' the City Council, the difficulty was fully met. Shopkeepers generally report good business, with expectations of immediate improvement in the coming month on account of the Winter Show which will then take placu. Owing to tho close of the" fruit season, provision 'trades report an improvement. Shops have done excellent business. OTHER PLACES. At New' Plymouth business is generally fairly good and there .arc moru

buildings in course of construction tbar at any time durilig the last three years. At Napier conditions -are hardly changed since last report. Carpentering is fairly busy, and difficulty has been experienced in obtaining tradesmen. Painters have been in demand, and there appears to he plenty of work offering.

At Wanganui trade is very satisfactory for the time of the year. Labouring work, however, has not been so plentiful.

At Palmerston North the outlook is promising. There are no openings for unskilled labour.

At Masterton conditions are much the same as they were last month. It is not advisable, for men seeking unskilled work to go there. At Nelson trade and business are very fair.