VOL. XIV, No. 1.

WHOLE NO. 62.

General Summary.

In Labor Bulletins Nos. 59 and 61 the Bureau presented the statistics of employment of organized labor for the first and second quarters of 1908, which ended respectively on March 31 and June 30. The information presented in this article covers a similar canvass for the third quarter, which ended on September 30, 1908. The number of reports, giving complete returns relative to employment, received from labor organizations was 651 at the end of the third quarter as compared with 493 for the second quarter and 256 for the first quarter, while the corresponding membership for which reports were received was 83,969 for the third quarter, 72,815 for the second quarter, and 66,968 for the first quarter. The increase in membership reporting is not proportionately as large as the increase in the number of unions reporting, because a large number of unions having a comparatively small membership have been added to our list of correspondents during the past two quarters.

It will be seen by referring to Table I that out of a membership of 83,969, representing 651 unions, 8,918 members, or 10.62 per cent of the total membership,

were idle on September 30, 1908, showing a more favorable state of employment than was observed on June 30, when out of 72,815 members reporting, 10,490, or 14.41 per cent, were idle; or than was shown on March 31, when out of 66,968 members reporting, 11,987, or 17.90 per cent, were reported idle. This decrease in the percentage of idleness indicates an improvement in industrial conditions which began early in 1908.

But the real significance of this declining percentage of idleness is more definitely determined by a consideration of the principal causes of idleness at the end of each quarter. Thus, the percentage idle on account of lack of work decreased from 16.18 per cent on March 31 to 12.54 per cent on June 30 and to 8.75 per cent on September 30; the percentage idle on account of strikes or lockouts decreased from 0.73 per cent on March 31 to 0.24 per cent on June 30, and on September 30 showed a slight increase over the previous returns, being 0.46 per cent; the percentage idle on account of disability increased from 0.76 per cent on March 31 to 1.21 per cent on June 30, but showed no appreciable change on September 30, being 1.17 per cent.

located in the 12 localities specified, and 267 unions having a membership of 17,634, or 14.93 per cent of the total membership reporting, were located in 92 other cities and towns of the State. The percentage of idleness in Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, and New Bedford exceeded the corresponding percentage (10.62) for the State as a whole, Lawrence showing the largest percentage idle, namely, 14.56 per cent of the total membership reporting. In the eight other localities specified the percentage of idleness was less than that for the State as a whole, Quincy showing the smallest. percentage idle, namely, 2.53 per cent. (See Table II.)

Table III shows comparatively by industries the state of employment at the end of the first, second, and third quarters, 1908. The membership of the unions reporting and the percentages idle are given in each case, and an identical system of classification has been observed in the tabulation of the returns for each quarter. Referring to this table we find that in the building trades, which comprised 17.68 per cent of the total membership reporting on September 30, the percentage of idleness was 9.34 per cent as compared with 18.30 per cent on June 30 and 25.20 per cent on March 31. In boot and shoe manufacturing, comprising 16.53 per cent of the total membership reporting, the percentages of idleness were 17.14 on September 30 as compared with 18.21 per cent and 8.04 per cent respectively on June 30 and March 31. In the manufacture of cotton goods the percentage of idleness was 15.63 as compared with 14.37 and 43.31 per cent respectively for June 30 and March 31. The increase in the percentage of idleness on September 30 over the returns for June 30 in this particular instance is due mainly to the returns received for the first time from one sin

gle union having a membership of several thousand, the unusual percentage of idleness reported by that union being principally due to purely local conditions in Fall River where the union is located. In the metal trades (iron and steel manufacture) some improvement is shown in employment on September 30 over conditions observed earlier in the year. This statement also holds generally true of transportation, particularly on railroads, but a perceptible increase in the percentage of idleness is to be noted among teamsters and helpers at the end of the third quarter. In the manufacture of tobacco (including principally cigar makers) the state of employment was less favorable on September 30 than on June 30, but was more favorable than on March 31. In printing and allied trades the state of employment was slightly less favorable each successive quarter, although in no case did the percentage idle exceed the 12.57 per cent on September 30.

Table IV presents in somewhat fuller detail the returns for the end of the third quarter, showing the number of unions making complete returns, their membership, and the number and percentage idle in the several industries classified by occupations. In those instances where only a few unions reported or where the membership reporting is comparatively small the data presented may not be safely used in drawing conclusions with reference to any particular industry in the Commonwealth as a whole, and it should further be borne in mind that the returns presented for all industries considered in this article refer only to members of labor organizations.1 It seems reasonable to assume, however, that the facts relative to conditions prevailing in the organized trades reflect in general the conditions prevailing in the Commonwealth as a whole.