Show I Estimates on Nati National nal Un Unemployment I May MayBe May A Be Exaggerated Exaggerated But But Who Knows B By RODNEY DUT DUTCHER HER W WASHINGTON WASHINGTON- It NEA-It It may maye maybe maybe be e true as Secretary of ot Labor Davis believes that current esUm estimates tes of ot unemployment are are exaggerated But his comment on esUm estimates tes that persons are out bf work has as emphasized the absence of any agency gency which kept accurate track track- of f the facts Such facts and figurea figures fig fig- urea ures res as are available furnish little nourishment nt for tor those who agree with President Coolidge's assertion In n his message to congress last December De- De ember cember that employment is ful ul In round numbers t the te e 1920 census census cenus cen- cen sus us showed showe Americans engaged in gainful occupations There were employers and self employed Including 00 farmers s. s age si-age earners earn- earn ers era rs and salaried workers The class included 2700 00 farm workers miners manufacturing workers building trades workers clerical workers and 3 transportation workers Now v o to take up the available facts acts for these various classes The Tho bureau of ot labor statistics part pan of the he department of ot labor has compiled compiled com corn com piled since 1923 a a. monthly index showIng howing the percentage of employment employment employment employ employ- ment which uses the average employment employment em em- for tor 1923 as per cent It t is ba based ed on payroll roll reports from industrial establishments employing employing employing em em- some workers It has been said that this omits many smaller fa factories which have been hardest hit but le let that pass pas and assume that the average for tor these holds good everywhere and and and- for tor want of actual figures that figures that i there were still sUll manufacturing manufacturing turing in 1923 The percentage of manufacturing employment in the last month of ot 1927 a as compared with th the the- 1923 average was This would me mean inen n discounting the 23 1920 1920 drop in employment employment em em- nt that some jobs occupied by manufacturing workers workers workers work work- ers in 1923 w were re not occupied the first of ot this year Assuming that there Were were only such workers in 1923 some factory workers had lost or left their Jobs since December December December Decem Decem- ber 1926 when the tilo percentage was was Eleven of twelve welve groups groups- surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- showed decreases lor tor or 1927 Farmers and farm laborers who I I left the farms in 1927 and years Just before cant can't be accurately estimated ed but Secretary of Agriculture Jardine estimates that more more than persons have left leU the farms since 1920 many to be tl thrown wn on the labor market A total of ot 1749 persons earning livings on farms the left farms between 1910 and 1920 and nd if It the same ratio continued con con- continued continued con con- some Borne have departed in the last seven years As for forI I mining mining- a a surplus of ot metal mining workers was general in the West Vest as late a as- as January About coal eoal minera miners miners min min- ers era are on strike and anthracite anthracite anthracite cite min miners rs ar are said to be idle A surplus of ef t. t miners miner has existed for years B Building trad trades Workers in this Industry have Been especially hard I hit lit and union officials estimated re recently recently recently re- re that were out of ot work Transportation workers Class 1 railroads r reported ported fewer em em- November 15 1927 than on November 15 1926 including a drop of in n the preceding month There are m more more re clerks more sales and other white collar Jobs m more re new occupations open but I while such opportunities have ab ab- ab some of the huge labor Jabor surplus sur surplus sur- sur plus pouring from factories mines farms and railroads they have long since reached a virtual saturation point One of or the most important things to remember about unemployment how however ver is that an accurate estimate estimate estimate esti esti- mate of ot it is impossible Even Inmost in inmost inmost most prosperous times labor laborde department de- de officials say about 1000 are Jobless |