Alexandria Gazette

Unemployed Here May
Pass
2,000,000 Mark

Washington, Dec. 28.--An approximate estimate of the unemployed in the United States, with some idea of whether the idleness promises to be temporary or long standing, will be embodied in a report to be made public on January 15 by the United States Employment Service.

For the purposes of the survey, the country has been divided into nine districts heretofore included in the activities of the bureau.

The field workers have been engaged in making the canvass of the principal industrial cities and the larger towns in their field, with instructions to report to Washington by January 15.

After this survey has been given to the public the bureau will confine its activities to the usual bi-monthly report of the payrolls of the country. The latter usually furnishes the most accurate data as to industrial activities, but it was thought best to make a quicker survey for immediate use.

John B. Densmore, Director of the United States Employment Service, said that he had no figures available now which would permit him to estimate the number of idle in the country. A statement issued 4 weeks ago by the American Federation of Labor placed the number at 2,000,000. Since that time stagnation in industry has increased with a consequent increase in the unemployed. Some statisticians estimate that the number of unemployed reaches 2,750,000.