Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXV, Number 46, 12 Malaki 1941 — LABOR OUTLOOK IN HAWAII [ARTICLE]

LABOR OUTLOOK IN HAWAII

By ihe Territorial Labor Department

A slioriage in various categoriesi 01 skillet} ainl seaui-skilled labor was u»retast for 'Huwaii 'today a« i!ih territor3aJ emph>yment service rt'i«>rU'd iis active ttles contained iewi-i- maie job seekers iliau at any uuie >iuce tlie siart of tlie progruui. t.)iilj 2,720 men iiKluding īhose oii Wi'A īolla were regislereil >vitb Uio U'rritorial servioe at the end of Jatmar.v as 3,2tiS jobs \vere found uurmg tliat moiuli, announeeel CharU>s Savage, director of the lubor (h.'pjirtiueut. Tlie Jauu4ry plaeemont:? \vere 1S iur n>nt al>ove those of Deveniber, 1!'40. aiul the yreatt>st t?lnce Sepu niiH'i-, IU4O, when 1,081 > placeinent;s i were nuule. The next liighest plaee-l i.icms were inade in April, I Oi tiie jobs found in .lanuur.v. 1,122 were \vith . private indusuu s. Of ihe 1,122, Mr. ,Savage said (2S represeuted pennanem p»>siuviks, ;uut teiuporar.\ jobs. r.ie iuivate plaeemeni» were "0.8 jiet' <•<='iu hlgher thun the {irovious rvcoi'd, .-el iu August, 15)40, wheu i<24 pt'i\ate placeuient» weremadē. vategorie*> in whieli lahor j-hoaay:es exist, the einploymeut! t«tTvice listed all around mechanics. machiuiMs, carpenters, "sanB lKigs'V rinst dass unskilled laborers. air-{ craft ,uiechanics and machinist- 4 ,1 eleen'ieian*, sheet iuetal work?rs, i steel workers. matcrial men, rrane I aml oiher eyuipment operators, diVe.rs, pluuiber.s, pipe Aiīei-ī!, instruiuent mechanics, joiners and boat l>uilders. "White co|lar" worktn s needed inehule accouutiints, niale derk-typ-ists s mule stenogvaphers und draftseueu. "Service" oecupations in wliieh exist include cooks, waiters, muiemen and all iii-ounil plant workers. The laek of skil)ed lal»or has alread.v hoen feit, both by prīvate contractors aud governine»tal agen-| eie», Mr, Savage said. j To niake tip the shortage some Hrms 'iel down tlie bars" uud perraitted he!pers and learuers to wotk as journeymen, but this practlce hus largely bcen discontlnued sinee it was found damage to expenslve e<jnipnienf sometimes i%sulte(3. **Some individual firms deeided to eo along short hande<3 ratJier tlian tabe a ehanee on damage to equ!p--4 meiu by unskilled workers. They feel that lettintr down the bars lost' n»ore than it jrained, Mr. Savagel said. j The labor shortage wns flrst felt fu the skil!ed categortogi about slx 1 sno!\ths ago, lse sald. in (Vtol>er, I*4o, an ever wcekly drop itt the tumiber of 'employable'' unemploye<l was n<ned -even in the unsbllled brackets |) " Mr. Savage ConttDUed.

"This mHneU to a new low the ;u)io«in <>f tii!io and effort spent by the employmetit service lixteniew'■rs fn lrytns t<> phioe unettip!o.v(»(l Hiaiip \vorkors." he said. **TofU\v. the Honolulu offioe is ('oiic«?ntr;uiiig a!most entireiy 011 trjlng t<> fiuct ftv&ilabte worker? to tili euiiiknei!?' orders, \vith wort sss«rwi for pmcttc«lly every citl--7.k n api'li< ;mt who is willing t<> work uiui d4>es not eouie under ihe oatejrory ,»f '(in«mplo.vable' l n Mr. Savaa> Mni<l. >la»iy workers liave to Tl«<tu«»u:n ft>»tu the outi?l<le s*H>kin- « u>pioyiuent on nattonal <Jefonso tv s hut onlj i\ siuaU i>or ; ti 4 iti uk<u v«u Ih> rt>ferre<.l; to <>ti>;>N'>.vors <lne <o tlieir ottls«n-1 ;mt! nivtui roMaiivuieQt6 esta- ] hilNheil !>> «'mjtJoyers. Many of tl>eso ] rnf«rra»t« arv "f«rm han<!s" unsu!t ti!>U> for skiii,'u <Mnstrui'tion oo<'UpulioiiM, īln" !,-ti>t>r tiirt»<-t<»r Sasd, ;ni<! >oini-skille<l lalH>rt>rs ««>> ai»va«!y acord!ing to' the r<>Us <>f i lu v territ<>rlal «a»|>loy ! «UOI4t S<M'\ i v -<>. ! i>..<lii.<"t| V!\>£VHUt i«i \{ir!<'ux i ", l >t. ;»mi i>rivuto 'n. !i iii..,. v % \oar douiontctraie» • ' 1 <' j>rol>l<>ins rovoiv!?ij? aU<t\u ih< % luuinlenanoe v»f an «<le ■ t,u:i*o . f .;>or muh>!\ in thoso ls-1 '■ II- - - •> !■>:.:.): tt> - it_t>, >hr<-. t«-.v »f thc territortal la- *»•>.• <ii'j>«nuiiosH. i "T' o wiil heoome lnotva ' Vl'.U> \ «.»(,■> wfth (IH> {>«sjS«gt!» oH tinn>; h,> u.UHMi. | Huwali'-i sin>|vlv of 5 »'irti>is tr. !««<to<4ualo t\>* uo.. i:.-*.»- f„ r on nw! \MM-k . f\»r ho as ? '*' >■ <>»!". ttu <>f «M» 5 <*i.\!<- U ,4t a K>w i>olnt,j :uu 5 . \ . u;.;-,:ivniii .~Uis>\!V s Uou-. t!i-v īn i.ol a »in£V worVor!

in the aotive files of fhe Honolulu office of the territorial employment service," Mr. Savage diselosed. That Hawaii*s shortage Is only a part of the national plrture is shown by tbe experience of a group of oontractors who have been reeruiting workers on the Paol8e" ! eoast, and are now forced to go as I far east as Dpnver for new workiers. ,:..i "Wherever possible, employers are giving loeal citizens tlie flrst opportunity to qualify for jobs hej fore importini: workers from the ! maīnland," ATr. Savage safd. ! Ati expansfon pro<rram ealling for i about !?6,000,(HX) expenditure auring I this year is projected by four puhlle I utility flrms in Honolulu. They are: ' Hawaiian Electric Po., whieh will spend ahoul $3,000.000; Mutual Te i lepFu>ne Co.. $1,^80,505; Honolulu | tlapJd Transit rr»., .250,000; Ho--1 nolulu nas Co.. mostly on 1 a n»afn llne to the navy housfng project in IVarl llarbor. The Hawaiian Kiectrle Co. is planning an expansion prosram amounting to abont $6,500,000 durtng 1941, 1942 and 1943. These same eompanieā spent an estimated ?5.552.000 on increased facilities in-^940. ■ Federal proje< ts projected - inI c*!ude a new custotns liouse bu!lding 'at Hilo, and natural defense pro11ects on Oahu. ; Hawali county looks forward to a new Volcano House, to cost $70,250; a new Hilo l>ru£f Co. bui!ding costliifr about J3O.(HX>. and a Pepeeto Pap?tlko« voad, estfmated at $300,000. Two homestead roads ih North a'nd Foutb Kohala als?o are planned on Hawaii, whiih will eost about $5,000 eaeh. sīr. Savage poinleil o«t that the ullen. Ftlfpino and raeiatly umu'eeptahle lahor supply has miialned' about the san\e. j C«nmientfng 011 tl»e influx of uiaiiUaiHierss he said it was parrial- j ly offset by the return of groups of! workers to the coast either heeause of dissatisfaction with loeal work-' ing eonditions, the elijiiate ,or because they were unsuited to thc. work for whieh they were originally hlred.