UNEMPLOYMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18140, 3 October 1930, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT.

6,949,287 IN EUROPE. SOME STARTLING FIGURES. LONDON, August 9. Unemployment reached a new high record in the Old World with the announcement to-day by Germany that her total number of persons out of work was 2,757,000. 'As Great Britain’s unemployed officially passed the 2,000,000 mark last month, it is estimated that: in six European countries there are to-day at least 5,94.9,287 persons listed as out of work. Italy, with 322,287 officially reported jobless, 114,094 . of them women; France, with upward i'of 100,000 on strike and 20,000 out’ of work involuntarily; ■- Hungary, with' 400,000, mostly agriculturists, idle today, ’ and . Austria with 450,000, brought the total to 5,949,287. The London Daily Herald on March 3 reported that the total’ of unemployed in the entire world was 16,000,000. The Herald, supporting the Labour Government, which has been grappling with the problem in England, informed its readers that America’s situation was worse than that of any other country, - advancing the figure of 6,000,000 as the total in that cduntry. , Figures Modified. The Daily Herald at the same time said there were 4,500,000 jobless in Germany, 2,000,000 in Russia, 1,500,000 in Great Britain, 800,000 in Japan and 500,000 in Italy. The source of these figures was not made clear. The figures later were modifleld by a cut of-1,000,000 in the total for the United States. Great Britain’s army of unemployed has been growing since last autumn and went past the 2,000,000-mark on July 28. As registered in labour exchanges throughout the country, British unemployment, it then wasi disclosed in official reports, had increased 1 857,000 in a single year. In Britain the industries which have suffered most are textiles, with nearly 450,000 idle; transport, with 433,000; building trades, 170,000; coal mining, -255,000, and engineering in its various branches, 413,000. Big Increase in Germany. Germany has experienced an increase of 1,000,000 unemployed in; the last - yearj of whom 51,000 lost their jobs in the last fortnight. In Berlin alone there are 326,935 jobless, as shown in July reports, among whom are 70,000 metal workers; 31,000 building trades’ workers; 32,000 clerical workers and 5,200 technicians of various lines. Added to these is the usual large representation of unskilled toilers. Italy’s outlook took a turn for the better to-day, when the Government made known that extensive plans had been made for employment in State work for many thousands of persons. The Government held the attitude that the gains in unemployment must be checked before winter and to that end laid down an extensive road-building programme to begin September 1 and 15, employing 37,000 men and costing upwards of £2,000,000.