The Poplar Standard

JOBLESS:

Hit New Peak

Again jobless numbers in the United States had catapulted to a new high, and again the federal commerce department appeared unperturbed about it.

Unemployment rose to 4,684,000 in February—the highest figure since 1941—when the total was 5,620,000.

DESPITE THE FACT that many industrial and economic leaders professed to see danger in the situation, the commerce department came up with the usual bland, unconcerned explanation as to the cause of the big jump in unemployment.

As was stated in January when jobless figures appeared alarming, commerce department boss said: The slight rise in unemployment between January and February (204,000) appears to be due mainly to seasonal increase in the labor force and not to any cutbacks in employment.

But was that the case? Wasn't it logical to assume that an increase in the labor force—meaning unemployed but available labor—meant a corresponding lack of employment for that same force.

IT WAS SIGNIFICANT, many observers felt, that the figure as reported did not include striking workmen, a fact that meant the unemployment picture was not distorted in that sense.

Why was unemployment apparently steadily increasing? How would the seasonal turnover explanation hold water? If there were serious threat of widespread unemployment in the nation, it seemed the government should ascertain the fact.