Page:EB1922 - Volume 32.djvu/871

Rh Studies made by H. Hornell Hart of the Russell Sage Founda- tion show that while the industrial pop. of the United States increased from approximately 19,500,000 workmen in 1902 to about 30,200,000 in 1917, the demand for labour did not increase at the same ratio. In 1902 an average of 2,750,000 workers was out of employment at all times during the year; in 1903, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1917, the annual average fell below 2,000,000; in the depression of 1908 it was 3,500,000 and in that of 1914-5 it was 4, 500,000. Throughout the 1 6 years 1902-17 the unemployed constituted, on the average, 9-9% of the labour force; but it reached 14-1% in 1902, 14-8% in 1908; 15-8% in 1914 and 16% in 1915. On the other hand it fell to 5-5% in 1906, 7-1% in I9i6and4-7%in 1917. The other years saw fluctuations between these extremes. In 1903, 1906, 1907, 1910 and 1917 the demand for labour was strong; in 1908, 1914 and 1915 it was weak. In the other nine years it varied less, with a little more than 2,000,000 out of work all the time. No such percentages have been calculated for the years since 1917. Common experience was that the interruption of commerce with Europe in 1914 caused sudden business depression. But as the months passed, and especially after Jan. 1915, war contracts called into industry the " reserve army of the unemployed," and led to a labour shortage, acute in some trades, from 1917 until the signing of the Armistice. Then, in the late fall of 1918, contracts were cancelled and workers were laid off. The public continued to buy, however, and men laid off from war work were absorbed in other industries. There continued to be a demand for labour until Feb. and March 1920, then industry in general began to lay off men. By the end of the year the volume of employment in the factories of New York State had dropped off 20% since March, in Wisconsin it had dropped off 22-5% in the same

According to statistics in the Industrial Employment Survey Bulletin for Dec. 1921, 1,428 firms, employing each over 500 persons, located in 65 principal industrial centres of the country, were employing 1,567,374 workers on Nov. 30 1921 as against 1,506,614, on Jan. i 1921, an increase of 60,760, or 3-7%. Of the 14 industrial groups recognized by the U.S. Census, 9 report- ed an increase in employment in Nov. 1921 over Oct. 1921, viz.: paper and printing; lumber; vehicles for land transportation; tobacco manufactures; iron and steel; chemicals; stone, clay and glass; textiles; and metals and metal products. A decrease was reported by 5, viz.: liquors and beverages; railway repair shops; food products; leather and its products; and miscellaneous in- dustries. Of 65 cities, 40 reported an increase in employment, 24 a decrease, and i no change, since Oct. 31! 1921; total net increase reported for the month was 7,219.

See: Don D. Lescohier, The Labor Market; and Sumner Slichter, The Turnover of Factory Labor. (J. R. Co.)

'''UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT. BRITAIN AND IRELAND'''. Information as regards earlier years than those here dealt with will be found in 27.598 seq., and as regards England in 9.408 seq.; and similarly in the articles in the earlier volumes on counties and towns in the United Kingdom. See also ENGLISH HISTORY, ENGLISH FINANCE, IRELAND, SCOTLAND, BRITISH EMPIRE, COAL, SHIPPING, RAILWAYS, etc.

Population. A census of the United Kingdom was taken in April 1911, and one of Great Britain on June 19 1921. On the latter date no census of Ireland could be taken owing to its disturbed condition, and the census in Great Britain was post- poned from the customary month of April owing to the coal dispute and attendant industrial troubles. The postponement had certain effects upon the returns, such as enhancing the

TABLE 1. Population ign, 1921.

Area

Population

Pop. per sq. m. 1921 (or +1911)

Increase (+) or decrease %

1921 (or +1911)

England Wales Scotland Ireland Isle of Man Channel Islands

sq. m. 50,890 7,434 30,405 32,360 227 75

1911 34,045,290 2,025,202 4,760,904 4,390,219 52-016 96,899

1921

35-678,530 2,206,712 4,882,288

60,238 89,614

701

298 160 ( + 135) 265 1,194

1901-11 + 10-5 + 17-7 + 6-5

- i-5

Ti,

1911-21

+ 4'8 + 9 + 2-5

+ 15-8 - 7-7

Males 16,984,087 1,098,133 2,348,403 (+2,192,048) 27,321 41,264

Females 18,694,443 1,108,579 2,533,885 (+2,198,171) 32,917 48,350

period, but was 13% greater than in Jan. 1915. In New York State employment in Dec. 1920 was 9%' greater than in Dec. 1914, and about equal to that in June 1914. In Jan. 1921 employment in Wisconsin declined 11-3%, the, greatest decline in any single month since July 1920, making the total decline since the first quarter of 1920, 29.5% and bringing the number employed to the same as in the first quarter of 1915. The number increased 1-6 in Feb. 1921, the first increase in manu- facture as a whole since July; the number decreased 4-5% in March, making a total decline since July 1920 of 32-4 per cent. Metal industries suffered most. The climax of unemployment in New York State came in Jan. 1921, but the increase of employment during that month may have been due to seasonal changes rather than to improvement in business conditions. Between Feb. 1920 and Feb. 1921 the number employed in New York State factories had decreased 23 per cent..

In Jan. 1921 an unemployment survey made by the U.S. Employment Service for 35 states and the District of Columbia showed 9,402,000 employed in Jan. 1920 and 6,070,648 employed Jan. 1921, and estimated 3,473,446 as unemployed in the country as a whole. The greatest reduction in employment during this period was that of 82% in Michigan, 50% in Ohio and Indiana, 44% in Illinois, 43% in Connecticut, 38% in Massachusetts, 28% in New York, 32% in Wisconsin, 22% in New Jersey. In establishments studied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the greatest decreases between Feb. 1920 and Feb. 1921 were 44-2% in hosiery and underwear, and 41% in automobile manufactures; the smallest decreases were 2% in bituminous coal-mining and o-i % in cotton manufacturing.

apparent population of holiday resorts. Preliminary returns for England and Wales, with total figures only for Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom excluding Ireland, were issued in Aug. 1921 and are utilized in the following tables. Where administrative areas are given, these are for the year 1921, and the population figures for 1911 are adjusted to them.

The preliminary figures for 1921, for England and Wales, reveal an increase in the decennial period of 4-93 %, a figure proportionately much lower than ever recorded before. The effect of the World War is clearly seen in the analysis, which gives, for the intercensal period: births registered 8,275,400; deaths registered in England and Wales, 5,266,900; loss due to excess of outward over inward emigration 1,193,750, of which 560,000 is estimated as representing deaths of non-citizens outside the United Kingdom; leaving a net intercensal increase of 1,814,750. The increase % in intercensal periods is given thus for major divisions:

1901-11 Wales 1 8- 1

Midland counties. Northern counties London and adjacent counties Southern counties. Eastern counties.

1911-21

9

1 1-2 5-9

10-3 4-9

ii 4-4

9-5 3-9

7'6 3

The urban pop. of England and Wales is given as 78-1% of the whole in 1911 and 79-3% in 1921; the rural as 21-9% in 1911 and 20-7% in 1921. A future effect of the World War is seen in the increased preponderance of females over males, which, for England and Wales, was as 1,064 to 1,000 in 1901, 1,068 to 1,000 in 1911, and 1,095 to 1,000 in 1921. .