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Oamaru District The greater part of male labour in this district is engaged in farming, woollenmills, engineering and metal working, wool and grain stores, and flour-mills. Freezingworks and two rabbit-exporting companies engage approximately 270 workers at the peak of the season. The position in the freezing-works has been the most satisfactory for many years, both chains being fully manned throughout the season. There is no serious shortage of labour, other than tradesmen, in the district, and the labour requirements of farmers are usually satisfied by the Department. There is a shortage of shearers, but it is hoped that the shearers' training scheme will help to overcome this within the next few seasons. The shortage of living-accommodation in Oamaru is having a detrimental effect in the filling of vacancies for skilled labour. Male vacancies at 31st March, 1948, were 87, including 10 required for farming, 15 for building and construction, and several for the Eailways Department. The number of vacancies at 31st March, 1947, was 70. Female notified vacancies at 31st March, 1948, were 97 (103 at 31st March, 1947), including 46 required by woollen and knitting mills and 28 for clothing-manufacture. There is a profit-sharing scheme in operation at a limeworks in the district. All parties, employer and employees, participate on a regular basis, and the result has been increased output. Dunedin District Apart from the numerous employment opportunities available in the wide range of industrial undertakings centreing mainly around the Dunedin urban area, this district also includes extensive pastoral, fruit, and mixed farming areas in Central and South Otago. Shortages of labour were, however, confined largely to secondary and servicing industries. Male employment in seasonal industries, including meat-freezing, canning and preserving, dairy factories, and wool-stores rose from 538 at 31st August, 1947, to a peak of 1,177 at the end of February, 1948. The number of men employed at 31st March, 1948, was 1,170 and the number of notified vacancies in the first three mentioned industries was then only 6. The largest number of male workers enrolled for employment at the end of any month was 5 at 31st October, 1947. Male notified vacancies totalled 1,082 at 31st March, 1947, and 1,215 at 31st March, 1948. Vacancies requiring skilled male workers were 404 at 31st March, 1947, and 417 at 31st March, 1948, while the demand for juvenile workers rose from 264 to 406. Female notified vacancies numbered 1,807 at 31st March, 1948, as compared with 1,818 at 31st March, 1947. The number of female vacancies for skilled workers fell slightly from 394 at 31st March, 1947, to 325 at 31st March, 1948, but the demand for juvenile workers rose from 685 to 821 in the same period. The position in some of the larger industries is as follows : Engineering Industry. —Male notified vacancies in all engineering industries rose from 264 at 31st March, 1947, to 333 at 31st March, 1948. The greatest numbers of vacancies were recorded for general engineering 162, and manufacture of ships, engines, &c, 114. Skilled vacancies numbered 184, as compared with 146 at 31st March, 1947. Railway Workshops required at 31st March, 1948, 14 skilled and 48 unskilled workers. Building and Construction. —Male vacancies totalled 158 at 31st March, 1947, and rose to 175 at 31st March, 1948. Vacancies for skilled v/orkers in the industry numbered 146 at this date. Clothing-factories, Woollen-mills, and other Manufacturing Units. —The shortage of 939 female workers in this group of industries at 31st March, 1947, fell during the year to 812 at 31st March, 1948, but the situation is still serious, this number forming over half of the total notified female vacancies for the district. The greatest number of vacancies, 542, were in the clothing trade, while 261 females were required for woollen-mills. Footwear-factories required 40 workers at 31st March, 1948.

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