H.—3o.

Classes (1) and (2) represent the real unemployed in receipt of unemployment relief. Classes (3) and (4) denote those men who will not, in future, be classed as "unemployed," except as an indication of the numbers assisted financially by subsidies to industrial undertakings, &c. The graph which accompanied the last annual report has been brought up to date and is reproduced in the Appendix again for purposes of comparison. The middle line of this graph represents the total of classes (1) and (2) mentioned above, and the bottom line the total of classes (3) and (4). A new table (No. IV) shows for the period August, 1934, to July, 1935, the fluctuations m numbers according to these four classes. One of the most noticeable features of this table is the increase in the numbers of men in receipt of sustenance without working. The reasons for this are dealt with m another section of the report. It will be noticed that the numbers in full-time subsidized employment at "relief" rates have fallen steadily, while, although an actual decrease is also recorded m the numbers of men employed full-time at standard rates of pay under various subsidy schemes, the fall m this case is more gradual and is more in line with the general decline in the total number of men receiving assistance from the Fund. UNEMPLOYED CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO OCCUPATIONS. Table VIII in the Appendix shows an occupational classification of the " registered " unemployed for each month from January, 1935, to July, 1935. Statistics on this basis have been collected monthly from Government employment bureaux since January, 1935, m an effort to secure reliable data showing.the fluctuation caused by seasonal unemployment and that resulting from other movements in the employment market. The figures refer only to those on the "live register irrespective of whether or not the men are actually in receipt of unemployment relief (see the preceding section on "Numbers of Unemployed," also Table V m the Appendix). Those removed from the register, although still assisted from the Unemployment Fund through full-time subsidy schemes are excluded because of the difficulty which would be experienc ed m obtaining data from various employing authorities. However, the figures actually obtained and published herein provide a good representative sample of the occupations of those obliged to seek unemployment re lief. Ihe occupations are those given when registration is effected at the employment bureaux, and relate to the e fi gures a t the end of January and July, 1935, for occupations which showed figures of 1,000 or over in July

The above figures demonstrate two important points—firstly, that just over 40 per cent of the unemployed are general labourers, and, secondly, that over 60 per cent, of the unemployed follow the eight occupations shown above, indicating, m so far as occupation is concerned, a fairly mar e decree of localization. The relatively low figure for farm labourers is indicative of a fairly low percentage of unemployment in the farming industry. Unfortunately, details of the numbers employed under each occupation are not available, and it is therefore impossible to even estimate the comparative severitv of unemployment for each occupation. _ The comparisons between January and July are of interest. They indicate that the seasonal contraction of business activity in the winter months throws some thousands of workers into the ranks of the unemployed The decrease recorded in the number of carpenters, although small, is significant for the reason that it is a prima facie indication of improvement in the building industry. The decrease of some 209 or 17 per cent., in the number of coal-mmers on the register is also significant, but in the reverse'way Winter is the busy time for coal-mining, and the existence of just over 1,000 unemployed coal-miners in July is further evidence of the shrinking avenues for employment m the coal-mining industry. UNEMPLOYED CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO INDUSTRIES. A classification of the unemployed according to industries is of much greater importance than the narrower classification according to occupations. It sheds light on the relative prosperity of the different industries, and by pointing out industrial maladjustments enables remedial measures to be applied not only where they appear to be called for, but as part of a whole national attack on unemployment whose front extends across the whole industrial and commercial structure.

11

31st 31st Increase, Occupation. fno?' July ovei January. 1935. ly^o. Number. Number. Number. Per Cent. SSSSST :: :: :: " £ j arm labourers .. _ 13g 0 Lorry, bus, and taxi drivers .. Mnl 139 13 :: :: :: :: i:SS 1:S 1 1 General cierfcs .. gg g0 __ 2Q9 17 Coal-miners •• •• •• ■ > ' „ q0 1Q Seamen, stokers, 918 1,006 W 1U Totals 26,269 31,011 4,742 18 Grand totals 43,128 50,590 7,462 17 — Indicates decrease.