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1928. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

RE POET. The Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Minister of Labour. Sir, — Department of Labour, Wellington, 10th July, 1928. I have the honour to present herewith the thirty-seventh annual report of this Department, for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to be laid before Parliament, in compliance with the Labour Department Act, 1908, and the.Factories Act, 1921-22. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1927, to 31st March, 1928. I have, &c., F. W. Rowley, The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Secretary of Labour. UNEMPLOYMENT. The number of applications pending at the Department's employment bureaux rose steadily during the year from 1,897 on the 4th April, 1927 (1,226 on the 13th December, 1926) to the " peak " —viz., 2,928 — on the Bth August, 1927. From that date the number dropped week by week to 1,613 on the 12th December last, again (after the Christmas holidays) rising progressively to 2,509 at the end of the year, 31st March, 1928, and to 3,414 on the 4th June.

Table showing Number of Applicants at Department's Bureaux during past Seven Years, showing also the Variation between the Winter and Summer Months.

It was anticipated that with the onset of winter the present number would increase, but the indications are that a decrease will take place, due partly to the improved trade balance and to large numbers of applicants for employment being sent to Government works, also works of local bodies subsidized by the Government. It has been asserted that the actual number of unemployed is several times greater than that shown on the Department's books. It is true that many workers, especially in country districts, have not at first registered for various reasons, in most cases because they have thought it useless to do so until there was a prospect of obtaining employment thereby, and the result has therefore been that when employment has been provided in some of these places the number of applicants has immediately increased. It is now considered by commercial men that the restored favourable trade balance should shortly have the effect of creating a demand for all the employable labour.

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T« in. » De«„W « 3M. November. **"!&?. 1921-22 .. .. .. .. 888—December 1,825 —June. 1922-23 .. .. .. .. 516—December 953—June. 1923-24 .. .. .. .. 268 —December 629 —August. 1924-25 .. .. .. .. 239—December 792 —July. 1925-26 .. .. .. .. 344 —December 2,247 —June. 1926-27 .. .. .. .. 1,086 —December- 2,928 —August. 1927-28 .. .. .. 1,575 —December 3,414 —June.