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4 of these being Kingston residents. The results of 8 of the remaining 37
submissions are still awaited. The Exchange was able to place 60 of the
89 ex-regular servicemen who sought its help in their resettlement into
civilian life, while 4 were allotted places in Government Training Centres
for training in civilian occupations. Also included in the total of 5,077
are 277 men and 42 women who were in some way disabled, whether or not they
were registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts.
Despite the poor summer, unemployment among building trade workers
was no higher than in 1959, while unfilled vacancies in the industry
were frequently three times as many as those becoming unemployed from
building work. In other industries business has in general been maintained
at a high level throughout the year.
The local aircraft industry during 1960 recruited only highly
qualified technicians and other skilled workers. In the main, wastage was
not replaced and over the year there was a decrease of 380 in the numbers
employed in the industry. This wastage was gradual, however, and no large
redundancies occurred. The position at the end of the year had stabilised
and the present labour force is fully occupied. One advantage locally of
the merger with other aircraft companies is that spare capacity at Kingston
has been used by undertaking production for other firms in the group.
There is some movement of firms out of the Exchange area to those
districts where the shortage of labour is not so aoute, while others from
central London, notably those employing considerable numbers of clerical
workers and experiencing labour recruitment problems, have come or are
seeking to come to Kingston, hoping to attract workers who at present are
having to travel daily to town, as well as young persons leaving school.
The end of 1959 showed increases in unfilled vacancies, for both men
and women, as compared with the position at the end of the previous year.
At the end of 1960 the number of unfilled vacancies had risen still further,
to 726 men and 512 women. These are increases over December, 1959, of 278
and 119 respectively, and the ratio of unfilled vacancies to registered
unemployed, which in 1959 rose from .8 to 1.9, rose yet again to 2.9 in
1960.
The area has so far been unaffected by the short time working which
has been so heavy in some parts of the country, particularly those where
the motor manufacturing firms are situated. A few workers employed in
that industry in districts nearby signed the unemployment register at Kingston
intermittently during the autumn, but full time working was resumed early
in January, 1961. The percentage of unemployment locally, again only .5,
compared with a national figure of 1.9, is gratifyingly low, and it is
hoped that with its considerable diversity of industry, Kingston will in
1961 continue to enjoy stable, and even expanding, conditions."