London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bromley 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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17
With the exception of the first month of the year, when
building trade workers were temporarily affected as result of
inclement weather, unemployment throughout the year has been
exceptionally low and from the Spring onwards has remained
almost continuously at its lowest level since December. 1945. The
customary rise in unemployment expected during the last quarter
of the year has failed to materialise at the time of preparation of
this report.
The problem of winter unemployment among Painters has been less acute this winter to date, as the following figures illustrate.
| 1954 | 1953 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 th October | Nil | 7th October | 11 |
| 20th October | 9 | 21st October | 12 |
| 3rd November | 10 | 4th November | 27 |
| 17th November | 3 | 18th November | 35 |
| 1st December | 8 | 2nd December | 32 |
Unemployment among men. has been, in the main, confined
to the older black coated worker or to those affected by some
degree of disability. Of the 71 registered as unemployed on
6th December, 61 were over 40 years of age and 49 were over 50.
In this connection attention is directed to the recommendations of
the National Advisory Committee on the Employment of Older
Men and Women, which very briefly summarised are :—
(a) On Engagement—The test for engagement should be
capacity and not age.
(b) On Retirement—That men and women who can give
effective service should be given the
opportunity, without regard to age,
to continue at work if they wish.
Unemployment among women is mainly comprised of clerical
and shop workers for whom there is difficulty in placing on account
of age restrictions, and of women who require work for a limited
number of hours owing to domestic responsibilities, many of whom
only register for short periods when the urge or necessity to take
a job arises. The rise in the number of women registered as
unemployed in October was mainly due to married women
registering for employment following the return of children to
school and not to any other cause. Of the 44 registered as unemployed
on 6th December. 22 were over 40 and 22 under that age.
Also 20 of the women registered were married.
There have been no important changes in local industry
during the year excepting that at Bromley Gas Works where
production of gas ceased on 31st March. All displaced workers
were either transferred to other depots of the S.E. Gas Board or
were placed in other employment by this office.