The Union Times

Conn. To Collect And Publish Figures On Employment Payrolls

U.S. To Co-operate In State Program

A comprehensive program for the collection and publication of labor statistics in Connecticut was announced today by Labor Commissioner John J. Egan and James J. Graham, Acting Executive Director of the Employment Security Division.

The program will be a co-operative federal-state venture between the Employment Security Division of the State Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

U.S. COOPERATION

"The need for employment statistics for reconversion and post-war planning on a state and industry basis has long been recognized," Graham stated. "Our Division has received many requests in recent months for such data, but we have been able to furnish only over-all totals by industry. In the near future, we expect to have available employment totals by sex, area, and industry, and wage and hour statistics."

Although companies will report their figures to Hartford, the summaries will be supplied to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics to be used in compiling national totals. This is part of a nation-wide program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cooperative relations with state agencies.

Connecticut employers who for many years have been cooperating in supplying employment and payroll data to the federal government will fill out only one questionnaire for the use of both the state agency and the federal agency, thereby avoiding duplication that might result if both the federal and state governments were to request similar figures of employers.

Graham also stated that some additional companies who have not previously reported employment and payroll statistics to the B.L.S. are being asked to cooperate in the new program. Questionnaires will be sent to those additional companies this week. The addition of these companies to the number already reporting is in the interest of compiling and releasing more complete employment statistics for industries important to Connecticut's economy.

The figures collected under the new program will be released monthly. Summaries will be available to business, labor, and other agencies, both state and private, who are interested in employment and payroll trends. Those interested may obtain these releases by writing to Mr. Graham at 285 Broad Street, Hartford. It is believed that this program will fill a long-felt need for more complete knowledge of employment problems in Connecticut. As war production cut-backs begin to be felt, the usefulness of these figures is becoming more and more apparent.

In the near future, data concerning weekly and hourly earnings will also be available for important Connecticut industries as a result of these studies.