Employment Bulletin, Volume 2, No.6, December 1922

              The Employment Bulletin
Published Monthly by the Illinois Department of Labor. Under the Direction of the General Advisory Board of the Free Employment Service 

F. S. DEIBLER. Chairman. General Advisory Board		GEO. B. ARNOLD. Director of Labor	C. A. TOWNSEND. Asst. Director of Labor
A. H. R. ATWOOD. Secretary, General Advisory Board	W. C. LEWMAN. State Supt. of Free Employment Offices

Vol. II	CHICAGO, ILL., December, 1922	No. 6

The Bulletin is supplied without charge to firms reporting on employment, and to others upon request. Address all Communications to the Employment Bulletin, 116 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois.
R. D. Cahn, Statistician in Charge.

CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION IN ILLINOIS IN DECEMBER, 1922.
THE GENERAL CONDITION.
Employment in the industries of Illinois continued on the up-grade during the month of December, as reflected in the signed reports from 1513 employers, employing more than one-third of the manufacturing employees and from representative employees in the utilities, general contracting and mining. There was a gain of 1.5 per cent in the volume of employment during the month. This gain for all industries followed gains of 2.0 per cent and 1.7 per cent in the two preceding months, and contrasts with a decline during December, 1921 amounting to 4.0 per cent. The entire year of 1922, with the exception of a very slight decline during July, witnessed continued improvement in the number of workers employed.

The summaries of employment for December are based upon signed individual reports from 1513 employers,who submitted statements for both November and December, for the joint use of the Illinois Department of Labor and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. These concerns had 368,015 employees in December and 362,490 in November. Thus these firms alone had 5525 more employees in December than in the month before. The reporting concerns in every manufacturing group of industries except food, beverages, and tobacco, had more employees at work in December than in November. Of the 64 industries represented in the tabulations. 37 showed gains during the month, 25 showed declines, and and 2 no change.

December is ordinarily a time when employment is declining, both because of inclement weather and shutdowns for the taking of inventories. Notwithstanding these
two factors, employment expanded by the percentage above named, and also the average earnings of the workers increased. Employers who might otherwise be expected to make layoffs at this season are giving continuous employment to their workers in order to keep their forces intact during the winter, in preparation for the spring, when operations will be going full blast.

Chief among the industries registering employment gains in December were the car and locomotive concerns. These shops expanded the number of workers by 15.8 per cent during the month. At the same time the average earnings of the workers rose nearly 20 per cent. Railroads are reported to have placed a large volume of orders for cars during the past thirty days.

Clothiers were beginning actively to manufacture goods for spring, and employment increased in their factories. The busy season is on in the shoe factories, and both employment and average earnings rose during December. Concerns making building materials continued to operate at a scale that is not far below the high point attained during the rush periods, earlier in the year. There was a slight increase in workers at the stockyards .Construction work by some of the utilities was responsible for gains in two of the classes of the group.

Production in the coal mines expanded further, the average earnings amounting to $37.96. Reports from the mines however, continue to emphasize  that there is a shortage of cars, and steady, work throughout six days of the week is not possible in many of the mines on this account.

The employment trend in food industries generally was downward, so it was also in many of the wearing apparel lines, in which the peak of demand was reached before Christmas. Mail order concerns took on 10.2 per cent more workers to handle the Christmas rush and employment in the millinery houses expanded 21.6 per cent.

Reports from the Illinois Free Employment Offices again show the demands made upon the offices to provide work during the winter months for people released from out-door industries. The demand for unskilled labor, however, again fell short of the supply for the second time in the past eight months. There were in December 116.6 applicants for work for each 100 jobs available, which was a slight increase from the November ratio. Only once since September 1920, in the month of October 1922, has the number of orders for workers exceeded the supply. The condition is seen to be far better than either of the past two winters. In November and December 1921 the numbers of persons registered for each 100 jobs at the Illinois Free Employment Offices were 207 and 210 respectively. In November and December 1920 the figures were 127 and 198. The excess of 16 workers per 100 jobs in December and 12 in November of this year shows a labor surplus obviously much less than in the preceding years. In Rockford. East St. Louis, and Springfield the number of jobs available slightly outnumbered the workers presenting themselves as applicants.

The amount of money put into circulation as wages during the week of December 15th was $9,235.-236.27, for the 1512 concerns, an increase of 1.6 per cent over the amount placed in circulation In the week of November 15th. The total volume of wages has increased during the past few months as follows: September. 3.7 per cent; October, 4.0 per cent and November, 3.8 per cent. Actual weekly earnings for the 368,015 workers, found by dividing the actual payroll by the number of persons on the payroll, was $27.07 for the week of December 15th. compared with $26.75 the amount for the same week in November.

LABOR’S OUTLOOK.
As the old year draws to a close and the New Year dawns, It may be well to give a moment to the consideration of the accomplishments of Labor and the path ahead.
Without the unending efforts of Labor, there would have been neither improvement nor civilization.. Every building erected, every person transported from place to place, every typo set and paper printed,—all production, in fact, is the result of Labor.
Not a moment of our existence passes but we roly upon what Labor has wrought to sustain our lives, keep us clothed and sheltered, amuse and instruct us. Even when our wars are waged and nation is arrayed against nation, it is not only Labor that makes up the ranks of the loyal, but it is Labor that is relied upon to keep the home fires of industry burning.
The New Year heralds the increasing prosperity of those who tolL but there yet is much to be done- There is much patience to be shown in studying the problems that are age-old, yet presenting themselves in now forms each day. There is much tact to be used in meeting all situations fairly ns becomes a just man and not with prejudice and misunderstanding.. There is much loyalty to be pledged—loyalty to the idea that a man is no less a man because he sells the product of his own toil rather than the product of another’s.
Also let us not forget credit is duo to employers who have boon fair with labor, and let us hope that the year 1923 will bring a hotter understanding and closer affiliation of employer and employee, with the result of betterment for all.
GEORGE B. ARNOLD, Director,
CHARLES A. TOWNSEND. Assistant Director.