The Unemployment Figures Despite the good reasons given for the
increase in unemploy- ment last month, the Ministry of Labour's figures for May are undoubtedly discouraging. Since April unemployment rose by 31,041, though May should normally be a month of increased industrial activity. The rise is chiefly accounted for by temporary stoppages in the coal and textile industries ; but it is significant that in the engineering and motor industries also unemployment increased by over 5,000. But the meaning of the latest figures can only be assessed fairly by comparing them with those for May, 1937 ; the purely transitory causes of the rise from April to May this year do little to explain the increase of 382,000 in unemployment since May last year. It seems dear that not only has the rate of increase in industrial activity slowed down but that it has turned into a positive decrease, despite increased production of armaments. The armaments programme is so far the only remedy the Government has offered against a " recession," and it is clearly not enough. Unless further remedies are devised the country may, if present tendencies continue, be faced with an unemployment problem of serious proportions.
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