11,-11.

1933. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

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

KKPOBT.

The Acting-Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Minister of Labour. Sir, — Department of Labour, Wellington, 24th July, 1933. I have the honour to present herewith the forty-second 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, 1932, to 31st March, 1933. Owing to the continued need for economy the report has again been made as brief as possible. I have, &c., Henry E. Morton, The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Acting-Secretary of Labour.

UNEMPLOYMENT. Since the establishment of the Unemployment Fund and the setting-up of the Unemployment Board the activities of this Department, so far as unemployment is concerned, are mainly restricted to the registration of unemployed men and the placing of such men in employment, and the unemployment figures given below are therefore confined to " registrations " and " placements." Details as to the total number of men employed under the various schemes of the Unemployment Board or being assisted from the Unemployment Fund and other information on the question of unemployment may be obtained from the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Unemployment. On the 28th March, 1932, there were 45,383 applicants registered at the Department's employment offices throughout the Dominion. With slight fluctuations the number gradually increased to 56,498 on the 12th September, 1932, thereafter decreasing steadily until the 25th February, 1933, when it stood at 49,971. The number on the Department's registers on the Ist April, 1933, was 51,529. This number is 6,146 in excess of the number on the registers at the close of the previous year. (Note.— Since the Ist April the number of registered unemployed has continued to increase, the maximum figure up to the present being 57,352 on the 22nd July, 1933—i.e., 854 in excess of the peak figure for last year.) During the year 29,942 men were placed in employment, 2,041 on Government works (being mainly relief works under arrangement with the Unemployment Board), and the balance in private employment, inclusive of those placed under the Unemployment Board's schemes (but apart from those employed on the Unemployment Board's No. 5 Scheme). In addition, 746 were assisted by advances of railway fares or otherwise. (Figures for the previous year were 3,403 Government works, 14,925 otherwise : total, 18,328.)

! IT. 11.