H—llA

Bail Transport (including Dunedin City Corporation Tramways).—lncreasing difficulties in obtaining sufficient male labour to meet the full requirements of this industrial group are indicated by the marked rise in male vacancies from 79 at Ist April, 1946, to 287 at 31st March, 1947 (67 for skilled men, 177 for unskilled men, and 43 for juveniles). Labourers for the many branches of the industry are most strongly in demand. Building and Contruction Industry.—Vacancies for male workers totalled 157 at Ist April, 1946, reached a peak of 204 on 31st July, 1946, and then eased off to 158 by 31st March, 1947, with 2 out of every 3 of the current vacancies calling for skilled men. Clothing-factories, Woollen-mills, and other Textile Manufacturing Units.—Serious shortages of female labour continue in the textile and clothing group of industries in this district, with notified vacancies totalling 939 at 31st March, 1947. This represents slightly more than one-half of all female vacancies for the district. Clothing-factories accounted for 571 of these vacancies. Vacancies in woollen-mills have risen from 160 at Ist April, 1946, to 217 at 31st March, 1947. Footwear-factories required a further 47 female workers at the end of March, 1947. Hospitals.—With notified female vacancies rising from 99 at Ist April, 1946, to 234 at 31st March, 1947, a difficult position faces hospitals in the district. At this latter date 164 additional domestic staff and trainees were required, together with 15 trained nurses, while the mental hospital was short to the extent of 55 female employees. Wholesale and Betail Trade. —Vacancies for females in shops, &c., at Ist April, 1946, totalled 87, reached a peak of 149 on 31st January, 1947, and fell to 118 by the end of March, 1947. On the same date male vacancies were 63. The bulk of the demand was for male and female juniors only. Other Industries. —Demands for male labour were also forthcoming from a number of other industries, of which tanneries and fertilizer works (29 vacancies notified at 31st March, 1947, in each case) showed the highest totals. Fit unskilled manual workers are sought by these industries. Additional female labour was also required at 31st March, 1947, by a number of other industries —e.g., hotels and restaurants (103 vacancies), sugar and confectionery industry (70 vacancies), paper and pulp manufacture (38 vacancies), laundries (34 vacancies), domestic service (28 vacancies). Unskilled and juvenile female workers are particularly required. Invereargill District (Estimated male labour force, 22,600) 146. Although farming and its related seasonal industries are of major importance, this district also affords a wide range of employment in secondary industries, transport, distribution, servicing, and extractive industries such as sawmilling and coal-mining. Some 10,500 male and 3,600 female workers are so engaged. New industrial undertakings which commenced in the past twelve months include sawmills, lime-works, engineering works, and a clothing-factory. In addition, development of the Morley coalfield may be expected at an early date. Seasonal fluctuations in employment are an important feature of this district. Between July, 1916, and March, 1917, some 1,200 additional male workers were engaged in freezing-works, dairy factories, and wool, grain, seed stores, &c. At the ebb period of winter employment, on 31st August, 1916, male enrolments, however, reached a peak of only 22 persons seeking employment. The three freezing-works retained a number of men during the off-season for alterations and extensions, while every endeavour was made to place all enrollees into suitable employment. Vacancies for unskilled male workers in industry generally at this period of the year were limited, but highways improvement work, north of Invereargill, absorbed some 100 men during the winter months. Male vacancies numbered 113 on Ist April, 1946, and 186 on 31st January, 1947, but rose steeply to 332 by 31st March, 1947 (32 for skilled and 268 for unskilled men ; 32 for juveniles). Female vacancies totalled 146 on Ist April, 1946, and 111 on 31st March, 1947, with a peak of 182 at the end of December, 1946. Vacancies at the end of the period were for 72 unskilled workers and 39 juveniles. In the bush sawmilling industry the demand for skilled bushmen and mill hands continued throughout the year, although vacancies were reduced from 51 on Ist April, 1946, to 35 by 31st March, 1947. Lack of accommodation and other amenities provided the main difficulties in meeting the full labour requirements of the industry. Dairy factory vacancies numbered 44 on 30th September, 1946, but these had been reduced to 4 by 31st January, 1947. The Railways Department experienced difficulties in securing male workers, mainly surfacemen in country districts. Freezing-works initially obtained adequate labour, but by the end of March, 1947, vacancies were up to 81 for general hands. On the same date brickworks required 34 unskilled men, engineering firms 26 workers, and wool-stores 17 unskilled men. Hospital vacancies were gradually reduced from 59 on Ist April, 1946, to 23 by 31st March, 1947, for domestic staff. At this date clothing-factories advised 22 vacancies, hotels and catering establishments 16, and the condensed-milk factory 8 vacancies.

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