Unemployment and Tariffs The boom on the Stock Exchanges and
the commodity markets continues, but it brings as yet no consolation to the unemployed. It was revealed on Monday that on August 22nd there were 120,000 more registered un- employed than a year before, when the Labour Govear- ment fell, and that the total had now reached 2,859,000—a record for this country for all time. Employment on the year had declined by 85,000, and the percentage of registered unemployed to insured workpeople, which had fallen from 22.6 per cent. last September to 20.8 this March, was back on August 22nd at 22:9 per cent. It is true that the increase of unemployment by 37,000 between July and August was, according to the Ministry of Labour, "largely due to a reduction in the number in employment in the cotton industry, which was affected by stoppages owing to Trade Disputes." But taking the year as a whole things are even worse than appears, for the tightening up of benefit conditions has led to the removal from the register of large numbers who should, to give a true comparison, be added to the published figures. Every allowance must, of course, be made for world conditions, but there is no shirking the fact that the first year's office of the National Government and ten months of life under tariffs, have so far from effecting the promised improvement, set up figures which we should like to think will always remain a record.
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