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travellers have been a little more difficult to place suitably. Nevertheless, the highest number of males registered at any one time as disengaged was only 4, as compared with the highest number of notified vacancies for males at any one time standing at 1,323. The position regarding female labour is similarly acute. A steep rise occurred in notified vacancies from 657 at 30th September, 1945 to 1,325 at 31st October, 1945, since when the figure has risen steadily to 1,675 at 31st March, 1946. The remarks made in the opening paragraph for Lower Hutt district apply equally to the Wellington district. (a) Building Industry.—Lack of skilled tradesmen of all kinds, and to a lesser degree builders' labourers, is recorded. Despite shortages of building materials, demands for labour have been increasing over the period. At 30th September, 1945, notified vacancies were 170, which rose fairly gradually to 243 at 31st March, 1946. with the proportion of skilled to unskilled vacancies at approximately 4 to 1. Lack of journeymen has restricted the absorption of more apprentices and trainees. (b) Engineering Industry.—Shortages in this industry are evidenced by the steadily increasing numbers of vacancies for males, which rose from 144 at 30th September, 1945, to 233 at 31st March, 1946 (120 for skilled tradesmen, 75 for unskilled men, and 38 for juveniles), while vacancies for females at 31st March, 1946, were 41. These vacancies are fairly well distributed over the various firms in the district. The shortage of labourers in this industry has resulted in some unbalance between skilled and unskilled workers, and has at times necessitated skilled tradesmen being required to perform unskilled work. (c) Government Departments.—Shortages have been fairly marked, both for males and females. For males, at 30th September, 1945, notified vacancies were 67, and at 31st March, 1946, were 118, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 139 notified during the period. For females, at 30th September, 1945, notified vacancies were 232, rising to a peak of 376 at 15th December, 1945, and falling off to 211 at 31st March, 1946. The vacancies for males in Government Departments provide practically the only employment offering for male clerical workers. Shorthand-typists and typists are the most urgently required female workers. (d) Clothing Trade. —One of the most acute shortages of female labour exists in the clothingfactories. Notified vacancies, which at 30th September, 1945, were only 86, rose steeply to 299 at 31st October, 1945, since when a further rise has been shown to 381 at 31st March, 1946. Of the 381 vacancies, 180 were for skilled labour, 3 for unskilled, and 198 for juveniles. (e) Hospitals.—A most difficult situation in hospital staffing arose at the beginning of 1946. Vacancies for females, which at 30th September, 1945, were 80, fell to 43 by 30th November, 1945, but rose to 117 on 28th February, 1946, and, with the revocation of the declaration of essentiality on 28th February, 1946, climbed steeply to 322 on 31st March, 1946. With the assistance of the Department, a campaign for staff for the Wellington Public Hospital has lately been undertaken, and it is expected that the position will improve. (Since the campaign commenced and up to the end of June, 1946, a total of 133 females had joined the Wellington Hospital Board's staff.) (/) Tramways.—ln the Wellington City Council Tramways the staffing position also reached a crisis in March, 1946, when 50 male vacancies were on record and others were known to be pending. As with the Hospital Board, the assistance of the Department was made available to the Tramways. Accommodation was provided by the Department, and considerable numbers of workers were coming forward from other districts to fill the existing vacancies. (To the end of June, 1946, 80 conductors and 38 other men had been secured,.) (g) Printing and Publishing Trade.—Vacancies for females, which at 15th October, 1945, were 84, have remained fairly constant, being 92 at 31st March, 1946, though a temporary rise to 121 occurred in December, 1945. For males, vacancies have risen from 9at 15th October, 1945, to 37 at 31st March, 1946. The demand is spread over the trade throughout the district, though the most significant group of vacancies is in the Government Printing Office. (h) Retail Trade.—Vacancies for males, 45 on 15th October, 1945, rose to 93 by 28th February, 1946, and fell to 73 by 31st March, 1946. For females vacancies, which on 15th October, 1945, were 82, remained about the same to 15th February, 1946, but have since fallen to 53 on 31st March, 1946. These figures would indicate that this industry appears to be in the almost unique position of having very substantially reduced its labour shortage. (i) Other Industries. —Over other industries the shortage of labour is similarly evident—e.g., furniture-manufacture showed 78 vacancies for males (72 skilled) at 31st March, 1946 ; hotels and restaurants showed 114 vacancies for females on the same date; banks and insurance companies, 53 vacancies for females ; Post and Telegraph Department, 68 vacancies for males, &c. In general, all show a gradually increasing number of vacancies notified, both male and female, skilled and unskilled, and consequently a greater abundance of opportunities for employment offering in this district, with little prospect of the demands of industry being met. Accommodation difficulties present one of the main keys to the solution of the problem, and until these have been fully met the shortages must inevitably remain. (j) Returned Servicemen.—With no ex-servicemen registered as seeking employment through this Department at 31st March, 1946, a most satisfactory position is shown, and no difficulties whatever have been encountered in placing all ex-servicemen reporting for assistance.

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