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3
and the Hamptons). 106 of the women were placed in part-time work.
In addition 130 men and 80 women who registered at Kingston Exchange
were placed in work in other Exchange areas. Most of these were in
jobs within daily travelling distance of Kingston, hut 10 of the men
were people on Local Authority Housing Lists for whom it was possible
to find work in new or expanded towns, 4 being Kingston residents.
In the absence of applications from suitably qualified persons on
housing lists, 10 vacancies in new or expanded towns were filled by
the submission of other registrants.
The number of ex-Regular servicemen who sought help in
their resettlement into civilian employment was only 34 in 1961,
compared with 89 in 1960. Of this 34, 18 were found work while 2
were given courses in vocational training to fit them for specific
occupations in civil life.
Of all those placed 17 men and 63 women were persons already
in work who for a number of reasons were seeking a change, while 228
men and 49 women were disabled.
The overall total of persons placed in employment in the
Exchange area shows a reduction of 316 which was a reflection of the
slightly decreased demand mentioned above. There was a small increase
(14) in those placed elsewhere.
In general, employment continued at a satisfactory level
throughout the year. There were small redundancies in some firms, but
the workers who lost their employment were usually able to find further
work quite readily, either by their own efforts or through the Exchange
and wherever possible such persons were interviewed by Exchange staff
at their places of employment before they became unemployed, to try to
find them work before their notices expired.
In the aircraft industry recruitment of labour during 1961
continued to be restricted in the main to skilled workers, while
normal wastage resulted in a further small drop in the numbers employed.
Further concentration of production is expected to throw up some redundancy,
though it is understood production workers are unlikely to be
affected.
In the retail trade expansion and development continued both
in firms already in the area and by the opening of premises by firms
coming to Kingston to extend their field of activity.
It is perhaps a reflection of the national position that at
the end of 1961 the numbers of unfilled vacancies recorded at the
Exchange were 531 for men and 365 for women, both appreciably lower than
at the end of the previous year. The ratio of unfilled vacancies to
registered unemployed fell from 2.9 to 1.9. In retrospect, however, I
feel my hopes of continued prosperity in the area in 1961 have been
fulfilled, and I am confident Kingston will share in the expansion in
the national economy so urgently desired for 1962."