Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-03-05 | Page 8 | Labor Shortage Looms in Utah as Industries See Need of 10,458 Workers in S. L. Area

Y v t j f Jf p 1 Labor Shortage Looms in Utah Ut h as Industries 1 See Need of Workers in In S. S L. L Area Facing the problem of filling positions in the Salt Lake area and thousands more in other Utah areas the United States employment employment employment em em- service Friday was studying means of alleviating an impending shortage of defense workers Theordore R R. Maughn associate director of the Utah U US USE S SE SES E ES S said A report based upon firms with more than 50 and not including such Industries as railroads railroads rail raU roads estimated that essential defense defense defense de de- industries In Salt Lake area will wiIl face a shortage of ot workers work work- ers a year from now on the basis of normal supply The esti estl- mated shortage may be offset by utilization of women of the area in essential work and transfer of an estimated workers from 1 less e s s essential activities Mr Maughn said In addition housing facilities are being made available for workers to be imported the report said May Hire Japanese Although the number of women potentially available is high no nomore nomore nomore more than one third one third the number Is expected to accept employment Other principal source source of labor recommended by the report is Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese from the Topaz camp at Delta Ogden is facing the most critical shortage not only of workers but also of housing hospitalization and transportation Mr Maughn said Approximately workers willbe willbe will willbe be needed and the local supply can provide only according according according accord accord- ing to the report Even when housing housing housing hous hous- ing facilities are available in a year for migrants migrants-a a shortage of workers will wiIl remain he said Turnover rates have been abnormally high in the area thus increasing the difficulty he said Population Gain Increase of population in th the Provo area because of the Geneva Steel plant operations has caused a critical housing shortage Although Although Although Al Al- though number of construction workers needed at Provo will decrease decrease de do- crease beca because se construction of the plant will be completed during the year 1500 key men will be needed to operate the plant An estimated 1050 workers are expected to be Imported to the Price area to meet demands there he said Principal problem of this area is that because most of the work is in the mines women cannot cannot cannot can can- not be used to fill available Absenteeism in and around Salt Lake City is at a minimum and attempts attempts attempts at at- tempts are being made to Improve this situation in other areas Mr Maughn said