LABOR TURN-OVER IN MANUFACTURING, THE rate of accessions in manufacturing industries declined during September, largely as a result of a sharp reduction in the rate at which automobile plants rehired workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly survey on labor turn-over. Automobile plants showed a total accession rate of 5.52 per 100 workers, or about one-third of the 14.87 rate reported in September 1940. Many key defense industries continued to take on large numbers of workers, however, and the accession rate for all manufacturing (5.16) remained higher than the total separation rate (4.53). The aircraft industry reported a hiring rate of 11.30, and the shipbuilding industry reported a rate of 13.85. The introduction of "new" workers into industry is evidenced by the steady decrease in the ratio of rehiring to new hiring in all manufacturing industries combined, the rehiring rate in September falling to the lowest level on record (0.87 for every 100 employees). A year earlier, more than one-third of the total accessions represented workers who had been separated from pay rolls less than 3 months, whereas in September 1941 about one-sixth of the total was accounted for by the rehiring of workers. Reflecting widespread employment dislocations, quits and lay-off's increased substantially during September. The quit rate for all manufacturing industries combined rose to 2.81 per 100 employees, a new all-time high. The lay-off rate increased slightly from 1.13 in August to 1.16 in September. Quit rates increased not only in some of the defense industries, but also in many industries where material shortages have been most serious, indicating that many workers may be leaving their jobs in anticipation of lay-offs. Military separations have become less significant in recent months as indicated by the fact that the military separation rate among factory workers has shown a moderate but regular decline from 0.28 in April to 0.13 in September. The September labor turn-over survey includes nearly 8,300 representative manufacturing plants employing more than 4,000,000 industrial workers in 135 industries. 1581 427537---41 15 In this issue separate rates for 3 additional industries-engines, turbines, and water wheels; chemicals; and tools (not including edge tools, machine tools, files, and saws)—are presented for the first time. TABLE 1.-Monthly Labor Turn-Over Rates in Representative Factories in 135 Industries 1 Class of turnover and year Separations: 1941. Aver Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. age 1.31 1.33 1.70 2.08 2.20 2.06 2.25 2.46 2.81 1.37 1.31 1. 10 0.99 0.91 The various turn-over rates represent the number of quits, discharges, lay-offs, total separations, and accessions per 100 employees. 2 Including temporary, indeterminate, and permanent lay-offs. Beginning with September 1940, workers leaving to enter the Army or Navy are included in "miscellaneous separations." TABLE 2.-Monthly Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in 42 Manufacturing TABLE 2.-Monthly Turn-Over Rates (per 100 Employees) in 42 Manufacturing Industries -Continued ! No individual industry data shown unless reports cover at least 25 percent of industrial employment. * Beginning with September 1940, workers leaving to enter the Army or Navy are included in "Miscella neous separations." Included this month for the first time. Including aero-engines. |