H.—35.

In order to show what may be designated the total unemployed for the period under review, apart altogether from considerations of eligibility, &e„ the next table presents the approximate numbers of men who at the end of each quarter shown were either applicants for relief work or were working full or part time under the Unemployment Board's schemes.

Note—Maoris employed on development schemes under the control of the Native Department are excluded from the above table. A consideration of unemployment figures is hardly complete without a comparison of the position in New Zealand with that obtaining overseas. The appended table shows the relative intensity of the nroblem in this Dominion and in certain other countries, the statistics quoted for the latter being the latest available at 31st March, 1932. For the purposes of comparison, the proportion of unemployed to total population in April, 1931, is also shown.

Owing to the varying methods of recording- the number of unemployed it is practically impossible to arrive at a fair basis of comparison, but the above figures show that unemployment m New Zealand has fortunately not by any means attained the same relative magnitude as m some other countries. LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEES. Valuable assistance has been rendered during the year by Local Unemployment Committees sêt up to co-operate with the Unemployment Board in the relief of unemployment, and the Board desires to record its appreciation of their services. A number of new committees was set up during the year and a few committees resigned for various reasons. In some cases m which committees had ceased to function they were not replaced. At the end of March some 180 local committees were m existence, excluding sub-committees operating in outlying districts.

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Quarter ended 30th | 30th 31st I 31st | 30th 30th June, 'September, December, j March, j June, September, 1931. j 1931. 1931. j 1932. : 1932. 1932. Registered applicants, ineligible or 6,700 7,600 4,800 7,000 7,450 6,540 WorMng'on Scheme No. 5 .. .. 38,600 43,800 40,300 38,400 46,850 49,190 " Unemployed" on other relief SuSdSeTemployment on farms, 5,800 2,440 6,000 7,600 11,500 12,200 Schemes Nos. 4a, 4b, &c. | Camps (mostly single men) .. .. 750 900 1,345 , , Gold-prospecting (apart from Scheme .. • ■ 35 10 No. 5) i Building-subsidy Scheme (No. 10) - m Miscellaneous .. .. • • • • • • Total men on relief .. 44,400~ 4-6,990 47,285 47,520 ] 61,200 67,110 Total" unemployed" .. 51,100 54,590 52,085 54,520 68,650 73,650

Number _ , ,. , of Unemployed l*pulation(a S 1000 of Number of ' Population. Country. ate - Unemployed. n( . ar ;, t available Date). | April> 1932. i 1931. I 1 1932. r 45 400*1 „„ f30 24 New Zealand .. •• •• End of March .. j 5 4'520t/ 1:521 ' \36 Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. tt. i 'i w i " HJMK 11K £ S New South Wales .. .. .. End o February 100,000 2,50 100 40 South Australia End o January 23,600 584,000 40 .. :: to,»»:»» 122:775:000 * « United btat.s . . 6 127 800 64,583,000 95 73 Germany • • • • • ■ » * Registered unemployed. t Estimated total unemployed (see previous table).