| Show I L Jo Job Business ushi Shifting Today May Become War Necessity By Dy PAUL GESNER and andI I JOHN JOliN BECKLEY NEW YORK YORI Feb 19 Wide World World World-Is Is your job necessary to I national defense If not dont don't b be surprised if some time in the nex next year or two WO you have to pull up uptakes uptakes takes stakes and go to work in a a. war wa Industry Simple arithmetic indicates that tha this country is headed for its mos most serious jerious man pow power r shortage The supply of workers still unemployed unemployed un un- employed is only a a. drop in the bucket compared with the needs of f the army navy and the war in in- I Some say as many as housewives and non non- defense workers will have to be transferred to war industries to supply our fighting forces Other estimates of the number who will wil willaVe have aVe to change jobs run even higher Heres Here's the picture as reported by sources familiar with our man mani manpower manpower i power requirements eeds Stressed The army and navy need at least more men War industries at full pace will require about additional workers Practically all of this industrial man power must come from housewives housewives housewives house house- wives retired workers or persons now OW employed in nonessential lines Unemployment is down pretty close to an irreducible minimum The number of persons looking for work in December was reported by bythe bythe bythe the national industrial conference bo board rd as slightly more than Thi This number however Is hardly important since the labor force on farms is at its lowest during the winter About workers normally are taken on by farmers between now and June If they use that number this year year and and they probably will if they can get them unemployment this summer willbe will willbe willbe be pretty close to zero Demand To Be Great Observers expect some idleness here and there as industries are converted to defense but when conversion has been completed the demand for workers will be greater than ever The automobile industry which had a peak 1941 employment of roughly is expected to need more than workers when completely converted to armaments Shutdowns of civilian plants because because because be be- cause of lack of materials have provided some additional labor but not oot the unemployed originally originally nally expected from priority dislocations dislo dislo- There probably will be a small amali stream from this source for some time but authorities believe it will vill be far too small to meet the demand Midsummer is the time when many observers forecast that the theman theman theman man power shortage will begin to become acute Some go as far as asto asto asto to predict conscription of tense workers for war jobs late this year Many feel milder methods methods methods meth meth- are likely to be tried first Job Changes Seen Regardless of method though it seems inevitable that many workers work work- ers era will have to change jobs For some the problem will be settled by wholesale conver lon of the in industry industry industry in- in in which they are employed such as is happening in the radio and automobile industries The stretching of man power to meet military and industrial needs is receiving attention in Washing Washing- ton Some reports indicate that control of the entire problem soon may be placed under one agency Who will handle andle the job however isn't clear Observers say it might be the labor department the labor division of the war production board or the employment service of the federal security administration Older men who registered this week for tor selective service would do well to note the announcement that officials plan soon to send every registrant not already in military service a detailed questionnaire questionnaire ques ques- regarding his vocational background The day when registrants registrants registrants regis regis- trants may be called to run a I machine instead of carry a gun may not be too remote especially i for those deferred from front actual military military military mili mili- tary service |
