H—lla

against 35 per cent, of 4,559 in October, 1945 ; and in printing, publishing, and photography, where the percentage increased from 30 per cent, of 6,502 to 35 per cent, of 5,836. The only marked decrease in percentage of females occurs in the papermilling, paper bags, and cartons industry, where the male staff increased from 560 to 785, and the female staff from 535 to 599, females making up 49 per cent, in 1939 and 43 per cent, in October, 1945. 443. Notable among the smaller industries in brick, tile, and concrete products, where the female staff trebled in numbers over the war years, and made up 10 per cent, of the total in 1945, as against 4 per cent, in 1939. (xiv) Cumulative Effects 444. It will be convenient now to summarize briefly the cumulative effects of the wartime changes as at December, 1945, bearing in mind that at that time there were still 45,000 men and 3,000 women in the Armed Services, and that the industrial figures represent only a partial recovery from the more drastic interference with industry necessitated by the war. (The figures quoted below are approximate.) 445. In 1939 it is estimated that the labour force (including unemployed persons) was 700,000, made up of 520,000 males and 180,000 females. In December, 1945, the figures were 480,000 males and 200,000 females, a decrease of 40,000 males and an increase of 20,000 females. 446. The changes were spread over industry as follows :

Changes in Total Employees, 1939 to December, 1945

447. Comment lias already been made upon the changes occurring in each group of industries. Over industry as a whole the available labour force has shrunk by some 20,000 persons, but (owing to the fact that in 1939 there were 19,000 of this labour force unemployed, as against less than 1,000 in 1945) the reduction in labour actually employed was only 2,000, despite some 48,000 persons still in the Armed Forces. Of those actually employed in 1945, however, 20,000 were women who had been wartime entrants to industry and whose continuance in employment was problematical. In the absence of comprehensive production figures for 1945 it is difficult to estimate the extent to which industry has expanded in the face of wartime difficulties, but there is no' dotibt that the reduction of 2,000 was only a fraction of the overall shortage of labour in industry. At 31st December, 1945, there were 13,532 notified vacancies in industry, as against 479 disengaged persons. By 31st March, 1946, the Armed Services had been reduced by a further 22,500 persons, but the figure for vacancies in industry had risen to 17,035, with disengaged persons numbering only 426.

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Industry. Reduction in Males % employed. Increase in Females employed. Net Reduction. Farming Other primary industry Building and construction Transport and communication Secondary industries Distribution and finance Professional services and administration Miscellaneous services Unemployed absorbed into industry and Armed Forces .. 1,000 1,000 6,000 3,000 4,000* 4,000 3,000 8,000 18,000 3,000 6,000 10,000 2,000f 1,000 1,000 6,000 7,000* 2,000* 7,000* 10,000 18,000 Labour force 40,000 20,000 20,000 * Increase. t Decrease.