Full text of Public Employment Offices in the United States : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 241

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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
ROYAL MEEKER, Commis»ioner

B U L L E T IN O F T H E U N IT E D STA TES )
B U R E A U O F L A B O R S T A T IS T IC S J
EMPLOYMENT

AND

.

) \T ~ 0 A 1
J INI). L l l

UNEMPLOYMENT

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES
IN TH E U N I T E D S T A T E S




BY JOHN G. HERNDON, Jr.

JULY, 1918

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1918




CONTENTS.
Page.

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 5-14
7, 8
Development of the public employment office idea.........................................
Object and scope of the study...............................................................................
8, 9
Discontinued public employment offices............................................................ 9-11
Methods used in the study..................................................................................... 1 1 , 1 2
Classification of public employment offices........................................................ 12,13
Extent of the movement for public employment offices................................. 13,14
State and city public employment offices................................................................. 14-47
Dates of establishment.......................................................................................... 14-16
Suitableness of location of offices.......................................................................... 16-18
Equipm ent............................................................. ,................................................. 18-22
Personnel and manner of appointment............................................................... 23-25
Office hours............................................................................................................... 25-29
Appropriations and expenditures.. , .................................................................... 29-31
Fees............................................................................................................................
31
Methods used to secure applicants and places for applicants......................... 31-36
Preferences in placements...................................................................................... 36, 37
Efforts to ascertain moral conditions at places of employment...................... 37, 38
Policy with reference to industrial disturbances............................................... 38, 39
Seasonal and temporary placements.................................................................... 40, 41
Frequency of reports...............................................................................................
41
Contents of reports................................................................................................... 42-44
Relation between public and private offices...................................................... 44-47
Federal employment offices........................................................................................... 48-52
Legislative enactments........................................................................................... 48, 49
The zone system...................................................................................................... 49, 50
Services rendered.................................................................................................... 51, 52
Other public or semipublic employment offices....................................................... 52-64
Offices engaged primarily in other w ork............................................................ 53, 54
Offices privately operated for the general public but not under govern­
mental control...................................................................................................... 54, 55
State university agencies....................................................................................... 55-57
Offices maintained by chambers of commerce................................................... 57, 58
Noncommercial agencies supervised by some public employment bureau.. 58-60
Vocational guidance bureaus.....................................- .......................................... 60-64
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................64-72
Need of uniform system of records, reports, and definitions of terms........... 64, 65
Recommendations of committee on standardization........................................ 65-70
Cooperation between Federal and other public employment offices............ 70-72
General ta bles................................................................................................................ 73-100




3




BULLETIN OF THE

U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ W A S H I N G T O N ._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ju ly,

n o , 241.

im s.

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

IN T R O D U C T IO N .
The growing interest in the development of public employment
offices, together with the rapid increase in their number, suggested
to the United States Commissioner o f Labor Statistics the appro­
priateness and timeliness of a study of their methods and prac­
tices. The American Association of Public Employment Offices, at
its annual meeting in Detroit, in June, 1915, requested that the
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics make an investigation of all
employment offices, both public and private. An Employment Con­
ference, called by Hon. William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, met
in San Francisco, August 2 to 6,1915, to discuss employment matters.
This body desired that a study be made of employment offices in the
United States, more particularly of the private agencies. The Bu­
reau of Labor Statistics began a study of public employment offices
in the spring of 1915. Many interruptions have interfered with the
progress of the investigation and the writing of the report. An
investigation of private employment agencies throughout the country
was wholly out of the question because of the expense. Besides, the
several investigations of these private offices already made have
revealed all their characteristics.
One of the influences making for the rapid growth in the number
and importance of public employment offices has been the flagrant
evils connected with these private employment agencies. Of even
greater importance in this development, however, is the growing
sense that unemployment is a matter of deep concern to the public.
The “ right to work,” contended for by the workers, can never be
anything more than an abstract theory so long as the information
as to the “ manless jo b ” and the “ jobless man” is carefully guarded
as the private property of private employment agencies, acting on
the well-known principle of “ charging all the traffic will bear.”
The worker’s “ right to work” implies a responsibility on the part
of the public for the lack of work and involves the duty of the




6

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN' T H E U N ITED STATES.

public to supply the worker with all possible information about work
to be obtained, and in the last analysis to furnish work to those who
diligently seek it. One’s sense of justice is offended at the thought of
a willing and industrious worker being obliged to pay for the privi­
lege of applying for a job. I f the private employment agencies had
been conducted with ordinary honesty and efficiency, the striving for
a greater degree of justice to the worker would not have been able to
make any headway against the accepted doctrine of individualism,
which assumes that privately conducted businesses are always pref­
erable to publicly conducted businesses. The irregularities and
abuses of the private employment agencies, however, became too
notorious to be overlooked.
The charges usually preferred against private employment agencies
concern the fees exacted, the practices in referring applicants to
jobs, and the places where the employment agencies are frequently
located. Fees for registration were, and still are, charged by many
private employment agencies, although these agencies make no effort
to render any service in return for the fee. I f the registered appli­
cant makes a complaii^t, he is asked to pay an extra fee on the
promise of getting first consideration. The fees charged are often­
times exorbitant. “ Fee splitting7’ is frequently practiced, part of
the fee charged to the worker being paid over by the private employ­
ment agent to the employer or foreman. This practice is closely akin
to job selling by foremen and superintendents.1 Under this system
the foreman or superintendent will hire a workman only on condi­
tion that the workman pay him a sum of money for the job. Both
“ fee splitting ” and u job selling ” result in short-term employment
and frequent discharges, for each time a job is filled a new fee is
“ split ” or a fresh price exacted. The resulting wastage from accel­
erated labor turnover, from extortionate and multiplied fees, from
demoralization of workers, from unemployment and irregularity of
employment, is incalculably great. Another complaint made against
the private employment agencies is of carelessness or malicious chi­
cane in sending applicants unwarned to jobs where strikes are on, to
jobs wholly unsuitable or beyond the capacity of the worker, to dis­
reputable jobs, or to jobs that do not exist. This often means sending
men and women considerable distances, often beyond the State lines,
and leaving them stranded, to shift as best they can.
Many private agencies are located in disreputable slum sections, in
saloons or other objectionable quarters, thus casting a stigma upon
unemployment, coupling it with drunkenness, debauchery, and crimes,
and putting placement work on the same footing with all charitable
efforts to save the fallen, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and pro­
1 See Monthly Review of U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for October, 1916, “ Job
selling in industrial establishments in Ohio,” pp. 1 to 5.




IN TRODU CTIO N .

7

ride coal for the cold and crutches for the crippled. Most unem­
ployment has no connection whatever with any fault of the worker.
Unemployment and irregular employment occur largely because of
highly developed, highly specialized, and rapidly changing indus­
tries, coupled with a labor market almost completely unorganized or
disorganized. More and more, intelligent people are coming to
recognize that the industrial system is responsible in a large degree
for unemployment, but whoever is responsible, the demoralizing con­
sequences resulting from unemployment are so far-reaching that the
State must set itself seriously to the task of prevention and cure.
Prevention must come through regularizing seasonal and fluctuating
industries, cutting down the turnover of labor, and undertaking
public construction work during periods of depression. The cure
proposed is the public employment office.
Even more important than the growing realization of the evils
found in many private agencies is the development of the sense of
public responsibility for unemployment. This is seen in the impor­
tance attached to this social ill by those planning conferences on the
social problems o f to-day. Labor officials, especially during the past
few years, have been devoting an increasing amount of time to the
problem of unemployment.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICE IDEA.

Quite similar to the development of the sense of public responsi­
bility in matters of elementary and high school education and rural
delivery has been the development of the feeling toward public
employment offiees.
When, in 1890, Ohio established 5 public employment offices, there
was but little general demand therefor. Organized labor favored
these offices, but there was no interest on the part of employers for
their creation or maintenance.
As late as 1909, Edward T. Devine, professor of social economy,
of Columbia University, in writing on The Desirability of Estab­
lishing an Employment Bureau in New York,1 said:
I am of the opinion that the establishment of an employment bureau sub­
stantially on the lines indicated in Mr. Schiff’s memorandum is desirable, that
the need for such a bureau is very great, that it is not met by other
existing agencies, and cannot be met by other plans more effectively or
•economically than by that proposed. The only serious modification which I
would recommend is that a fee should be charged to employees, rather than
to employers, unless it is found practicable and advisable to eharge a fee to
both. * * * If employers were charged and not employees, my fear would
be that the tendency of the bureau would be to serve the interests of employers
rather than these of employees. It is of -course our desire that it should serve
both, and primarily the community.




* Pp. 29, 30.

8

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IK T H E U N ITED STATES.

During the past seven, or eight years there has been a wonderful
development of public employment offices, in number, personnel and
appropriations. Along with this, increase has come the abolition of
fees in all of them, except the office at Boise City, Idaho, which is
mentioned on page 31.
OBJECT AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY.

The object of this study is to present a picture of the growth and
the present importance of public employment offices in the United
States. No attempt is made to cover private employment agencies.
Facts are given for the various State and city offices studied, as to the
following particulars:
(1)
Date of establishment; (2) suitableness of location; (3) equip­
ment; (4) personnel and manner of appointment; (5) office hours;
(6) appropriations; (7) methods used to secure applicants and
places for applicants; (8) preferences in placements; (9) inquiries
made of employers as to (a) moral conditions at places of employ­
ment; (b) industrial disputes at places of employment; and (c)
whether seasonal and temporary jobs; (10) records kept and reports
made; and (11) relation to private agencies.
Although this study treats primarily only of offices now in exist­
ence, brief mention is made of certain other offices not now oper­
ating which have had some influence in the development of public
employment work, together with some account of the causes for their
discontinuance. In gathering data for this bulletin all of the pub­
lic employment offices in the United States known to be in opera­
tion at the present time were studied. In addition to these, various
other employment agencies not strictly public were visited. These
latter include offices opened to meet pressing temporary needs either
of employers or of employees, and university employment offices.
While a few of the offices included in the enumeration on pages
12 and 13 are maintained only for certain types of workers and em­
ployers of certain sorts of labor, most of them are, in the fullest
sense, public employment offices, where, theoretically at least, any
person may apply for help or employment and have consideration
given his request.
Some foreign labor exchanges are more or less actively concerned
with such movements as vocational education, the granting of work­
ing certificates to school children, unemployment insurance, etc. Any
mention of these or related subjects in the report is merely incidental
to the general subject under consideration. There is no discussion
of offices supported wholly by merchants’ and manufacturers’ asso­
ciations. There is no mention of the general employment activities
of the Y . M. C. A., Y . W . C. A., and similar institutions, nor




IN TROD U CTION .

9

of any noncommercial agency not reporting to or supervised by some
public employment office.
D IS C O N T IN U E D P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S .

A few public employment offices established in certain cities either
by action of the municipal authorities or of the State legislature
have been discontinued. A resume of the New York free public
employment offices, which were established by law May 28, 1896,
and which continued in operation until 1906, is given in Bulletin No.
G8 of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.1
The act providing for the free public employment offices in New York be­
came a law May 28, 1896, and was repealed in 1906. The chief cause for the
failure of the offices provided for by this law was inadequate financial support.
A study of the situation may afford some light on similar problems elsewhere.
The control of the private agency has been the chief objective in New York,
for the especial reason that the helplessness of immigrants has made New York
City a most favorable field for the development of the worst types of private
agencies. As far back as 1888, before Ohio began the agitation for free em­
ployment offices, the New York assembly enacted a law requiring, or permitting
municipalities to require, of private agencies a license, a bond, a return of trans­
portation expenses incurred by the applicant under misrepresentation, a copy o f
the law to be printed on the back of the receipt, and that the street address
of the place of business should appear in the license. A comparison of this with
the act of April 27, 1904, shows that the same lines have been followed in the
later act as were laid down in the earlier one, with two additional features, a
register to be kept by the agency and the creation of the office of commissioner
of licenses charged with the enforcement of this law. Thus the history of New
York’s attempt to control these private agencies may be epitomized as, first, an
attempt by means of direct legislation, which failed; second, an attempt by in­
direct means— i. e., State competition— which also failed; third, a return to the
earlier method, supplemented by provision for administration and financial
support for the same. This is now on trial, with fair prospects of becoming a
permanent success.
Judged in the light of what it has persistently attempted to do— namely, to
control the private agencies— New York’s legislative experience corroborates
rather than contradicts that of other States. The first attempt failed because
no special provision was made for its enforcement. The second attempt un­
doubtedly would have failed for the same reason, jftst as it had done in other
States under like conditions, even if the appropriation had been adequate.
In Illinois the enforcement of the law is delegated to the free employment
office, together with something like adequate financial support. Whatever may
have been the motives for the course pursued in New York, whether a consider­
ation for the interests of private agencies, a disbelief in the possibilities of the
Illinois method, or a hostility to the public employment office, the sole object
aimed at in the act of April 27, 1904, was improved administration.
Both New
York and Illinois have succeeded to a considerable degree, but the success of
Illinois includes also the establishment of the free employment system which
has other purposes to serve than merely to control private agencies.
Thus it
is evident that New York’s rejection of her free employment system can not be




*Pp. 53 to 55.

10

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T O FSlCES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

taken as an indictment o f such system in general, however much it may have
been quoted to that effect. The cost to the city o f New York o f the office of
commissioner o f licenses from May, 1904, to September, 1905, inclusive, w as:
Amount expended, $26,695.85; outstanding liabilities, $500; total, $27,195.85.
The cost to the State o f Illinois for maintaining the free public employment
offices of Chicago for the year 1905 was $25,755.
It is worth w hile in this connection, though aside from the main purpose,
to mention a movement among the better class o f private agencies which de­
serves the widest imitation. This movement, under the name o f “ The Em­
ployment Agents’ Society,” was incorporated under the laws o f the State o f
New York in January, 1906. Its purposes as stated in the certificate o f in­
corporation are—
To cooperate with th e duly constituted authorities charged with the enforce­
ment o f all laws relating to employment agencies, to the unemployed, and to
wageworkers in general, to effect a union o f a ll reputable persons interested
in or engaged in the employment agency business, to bring about a better
acquaintance among employment agents in the State, to investigate frauds
alleged to have bean committed by employment agents in this State, and to
aid in bringing to justice those agents who practice dishon esty; to procure the
enactment o f law s necessary to the w elfare o f the unemployed, the employers,
and employment agents.
Such an association can lend the most valuable assistance in t&e enforcement
of the law and at the same time secure to itself the confidence o f the public.
The State commissioner o f labor o f New York in 1905 “ secured the volunteer
assistance ” o f a commission o f five men interested in charitable work to in­
vestigate and report upon the condition o f the free employment office. On
July 24 this commission reported the follow ing conclusions:
1 . That the bureau is In effect an intelligence office for women dom estic
servants.
2. That the sum appropriated fo r the maintenance o f the bureau ($5,000) is
entirely inadequate to conduct a bureau which might have an effect upon the
labor situation an the State in general.
3. That the energy represented by the expenditure o f $5,000 annually, or
any larger sum, will at this time produce the best results by dealing w ith the
problem o f factory inspection and child labor.
4. That, for the reasons set forth above, the free employment bureau should
fee discontinued at the end o f the present fiscal year.
These conclusions, manifestly, are purely local in their application, and do
not affect the general proposition fo r or against the State employment office.

In this connection the experience of Maryland is significant. The
following statement is taken from the Twenty-fourth Annual Keport,
Bureau o f Statistics and Information, Maryland, 1915;
•

EFFOBTS

TO

ESTABLISH

A

LABOJ1 EXCH ANG E.

Although the bureau’s organization and resources w ere under heavy burden *
to m eet the administrative demands e f the child labor and faetory inspection
laws, yet an effort w as made during a period o f excessive unemployment to
establish a labor exchange. An office was opened at the corner o f Guilford
Avenue and Lexington Street [Baltim ore} in June o f 1915. An employment
expert, Mr. W. R. Leiserson, was engaged to advise the bureau as to the best
methods o f bringing the jobless man into touch w ith the manless job. Tw o o f




INTRODUCTION.

11

the regular inspectors were assigned to the work o f registering applications and
getting into touch with employers.
By the time the office had been opened 125 days two situations developed,
either one o f which would have rendered unadvisable the continuation o f the
experiment. In the first place, the increasing demand for labor from munition
and general war supply factories all, over the country reduced unemployment
in the city to a minimum. In the second place, the brief experience proved
that the office was not equipped with an organization equal to the work o f
building up a labor exchange. The work called for the continued services o f a
managing expert. In view o f these facts the recommendation of Mr. Leiserson
to abandon the project was accepted, the exchange was closed and the in­
spectors reassigned to regular service work.

During 1914 several cities of Montana and Idaho established em­
ployment offices, but these offices have ceased to exist.
In January, 1915, the city government of Kansas City, Mo., es­
tablished an employment office under its department of public wel­
fare. The quarters were cramped and badly situated, being on the
fourth floor of a building. No placement work for men was at­
tempted after January, 1916, and at the end of June of that year
all the work of the office was discontinued. All applicants were
thereafter told to apply at the headquarters of the State-Federal of­
fice. For the fiscal year, which ended April 30, 1916, the expenses
were as follows: Salaries to the two employees of the office for the
period during which they served, $1,800; rent, $135; advertising,
printing, and postage, $83; all other expenses, $249.
Changes in the number and location of public employment of­
fices are occurring so rapidly that it is extremely difficult to report
accurately on even such a matter as discontinued offices, for since the
waiting of the text of this bulletin the Berkeley, Cal., and Fall River,
Mass., offices have ceased operations, because of the failure of the city
council in the former case, and the State legislature in the latter, to
appropriate therefor. The attorney general of Illinois, moreover,
recently rendered an opinion that the city of Chicago can not legally
maintain an employment office, and that office has since been discon­
tinued.
METHODS USED IN THE STUDY.

In the collection of the information upon which this report is
based, three methods were used. In nearly every instance personal
visits to the offices were made, the operations of the offices studied,
and schedules filled out by an agent of the Bureau of Labor Statis­
tics. A few offices were opened, however, after the other offices in
the neighborhood had been visited. Schedules for these were fur­
nished by mail and supplemented by correspondence to clarify any
questions not properly or fully answered. To many of the offices in
the East and Middle West more than one visit was made in order to




12

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

verify statements of various changes made and to learn the condi­
tions of operation at different seasons of the year.
Statistical tables of recent placement work were made by the agent
visiting those offices which had no up-to-date reports. In other cases
statistical tables prepared by the public employment office itself were
transmitted with its schedules. In addition to these data, the United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics has been publishing in its Monthly
Review for the past two years reports of the activities of public
employment offices all over the country. Annual reports have been
issued by many offices since they were scheduled. In most such cases
the statistics contained therein have been. u3ed to supplement thos3
already obtained.
C L A S S IF IC A T IO N O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S .

The following table shows the location and control of the 96 public
employment offices in the United States studied in detail for this
report. This list includes all general public employment offices main­
tained by cities and States, with or without cooperation with each
other or the Federal Government. (There is county cooperation in
four cases.) It omits all exclusively Federal offices and those of the
types described under the next topic, “ Extent of the movement for
public employment offices in the United States.”
T a b le

1.—LOCATION AND CONTROL OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT BUREAUS IN THE
UNITED STATES.

State and city.

Control.

Municipal.
Muflicipal-State.
State.
Municipal.
State.
Do.

Colorado.
Colorado Springs........ State.
Denver...................... County-Municipal.
Do........................ State.
Do........................
Do.
Pueblo........................
Do.

Connecticut.
Bridgeport................. State.
Hartford.....................
Do.
New Haven................
Do.
Norwich.....................
Do.
Waterbury.................
Do.

Idaho.
Boise.......................... Municipal.

Illinois.
Chicago...................... Municipal.
Do........................ State.
East St. Louis............
Do.
Peoria........................
Do.
Rock Island-Moline...
Do.
Rockford....................
Do.
Springfield.................
Do.




Control.

Indiana.

California.
Berkeley.....................
Los Angeles................
Oakland.....................
Sacramento................
Do........................
San Francisco.............

State and city.

Evansville...........
Fort Wayne.........
Indianapolis.........
South Bend..........
Terre Haute.........

State.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

Iowa.
Des Moines..........

State.

Kansas.
Topeka................

State,

Kentucky.
Louisville.............
Do..................

Municipal-private.
State.

Massachusetts.
Boston.................
Fall Rivef............
Springfield...........
Worcester.............

State.
Do.
Do.
Do.

Michigan.
Battle Creek........
Bay City..............
Detroit...............
Flint....................
Grand Rapids___
Jackson................
Kalamazoo...........
Lansing................

State.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

INTRODUCTION.
T able

13

1.—LOCATION AND CONTROL OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT BUREAUS IN THE
UNITED STATE&-Concluded.
Control.

State and city.

Michigan—Con.

State and eity.

Control.

Oklahoma.
State.
Do.

Minnesota.
Duluth....................... State.
Do.
Do.
St. Paul.....................

Missouri.
Kansas City............... State-Federal.
St. Joseph.................. State.
Do........................ County-Municipal.
State-Federal.

Montana.
Butte......................... Municipal.

Nebraska.

Enid........................... State.
Muskogee...................
Do.
Do.
Oklahoma...................
Tulsa..........................
Do.

Oregon.
Portland..................... Municipal.

Pennsylvania.
Altoona...................... State.
Harrisburg..................
Do.
Johnstown..................
Do.
Do.
Philadelphia..............
Pittsburgh..................
Do.

Rhode Island.
Providence......... ^ .

State.

Texas.

Lincoln........... .
Municipal.
Do........................ State.
.......................
Federal - State - County Omaha
Municipal.

Dallas......................... Municipal.
Fort Worth................
Do.

Jersey City................. Federal-State-Municipal.
Do.
Newark......................

Richmond.................. Municipal.

New Jersey.

New York.
Albany..................... State.
Do.
Brooklyn....................
Do.
Buffalo......................
New York.................. Municipal.
Rochester................... State.
Do.
Syracuse.....................

Ohio.
Akron....................... State-Municipal.
Do.
Do.
Columbus...................
Do.
Do.
Dayton......................
Do.
Toledo........... .
Y oungstown..............
Do.

Virginia.
Washington.
Bellingham................ Federal-Municipal.
Everett...................... Municipal.
Seattle........................
Do/
Spokane.....................
Do.
Takoma...................... Federal-Municipal.

Wisconsin.
La Crosse................... State-city.
Milwaukee................. State-county-city.
Oshkosh..................... State-city.
Superior.....................
Do.

From this list it is seen that the controlling authority is the city
in 15 offices; the county and city in 2; the State in 60; the State and
city in 11; and the State, county, and city in 1; while in 7 cases the
Federal Government shares in the work done in the offices studied, in
two places cooperating with the State and city wherein located, in
two cases with the State alone, in two others with the city only, and
in one with the State, county, and city. Of the municipal offices, one
is financed in part by private contributions from citizens interested in
its welfare.
EXTENT OF THE MOVEMENT FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.

In addition to the public employment offices enumerated in Table 1,
there are others of which note should be taken. These include six
classes, as follows:




14

PUBJLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

(1) Offices engaged primarily in other work but to some extent
also in employment activities, such as is true of the bureau of market­
ing, office of the commissioner of commerce, industry and agriculture,
Columbia, S. C., described on page 53.
(2) Offices privately operated for the general public but not under
any form of governmental control, as the Atlanta, Ga., public employ­
ment office, described on pages 54 and 55.
(3) State university agencies, such as those maintained by the
universities of Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, described on
pages 55 to 57.
(4) Chambers of commerce employment offices, such as are found
at Madison, Wis., and Dubois, Pa., described on pages 57 and 58.
(5) Noncommercial agencies reporting to and supervised by some
public employment office, such as the numerous agencies cooperating
with the New York City (Municipal) and Brooklyn, N. Y. (State)
bureaus, described on pages 58 to 60.
(6) Vocational guidance bureaus, such as are found in Chicago
and Philadelphia, discussed on pages 60 to 64.
I

STATE AND CITY PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
DATES OF ESTABLISHMENT.

The first American public employment offices were established at
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo, Ohio, by act
of the State legislature, April 28, 1890. There had been some agita­
tion for the establishment of such offices during the preceding three
years, but the attention of the legislature was not focused on this
subject until “ the Municipal Congress of Cincinnati, an organization
composed of all the trade and labor unions in that city, started an
agitation in favor of ‘ Free public employment offices’ being estab­
lished by the State government in all of the large cities of the State.”1
After the establishment of these five offices, no other public employ­
ment offices were established for four years. During this time, how­
ever, considerable attention was being given to the work of these
offices.2
In 1894 the city of Seattle established the first public municipal
employment office in this country, and in the next year the State of
Michigan opened in Detroit a public employment office. In 1899
the first Wisconsin public employment office was opened in the city
of Superior; and in the same year the State of Illinois opened North,
South, and West Side offices in Chicago. The following year the
1 Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureafc of Labor Statistics (Ohio), 1890, p. 20.
2 Idem ; also Seventeenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Ohio),
1893, pp. 14 and 15; Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Ohio),
1894, p. 874.




STATE AND CITY PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES-

15

State of Missouri provided for such employment offices in St, Louis,
Kansas City, and St. Joseph. At the close of the last century, there­
fore, there were 12 public labor exchanges maintained separately or
conjointly by States or cities.
During 1901 offices were opened in Milwaukee, Wis., Peoria, 111.,
and Topeka, Kans., in the Middle West, while Connecticut estab­
lished public employment offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Ha­
ven, Norwich, and Waterbury, the first offices of this sort t>o be opened
in the East. The next employment office established in the East was
the Boston office, opened October 24, 1906, under the control of the
Bureau of Statistics of Massachusetts. In the meanwhile offices had
been opened in Sacramento, Cal., and Butte, Mont. (1902) ; La Crosse
and Oshkosh, Wis. {1903) ; Tacoma, Wash. (1904); and Spokane,
Wash. (1905).
The panic of 1907 aroused the public attention to the fact of ex­
tensive unemployment. One of the noticeable results was the estab­
lishment that year of 7 new public employment offices, and of 9 more
in 1908. Before the thoughts of legislators had entirely turned away
from the conditions of 1907 and 1908, provision was made in 1909
for four additional public employment offices.
In 1907 there were created State offices at Fall River and Spring­
field, Mass.; East St, Louis, 111.; Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Mich.,
and Minneapolis, Minn., and the municipal office at Portland, Oreg.
In 1908, State offices were established at Denver, Pueblo, and Colo­
rado Springs, Colo.; Grand Rapids and Jackson, Mich.; Duluth and
St, Paul, Minn.; Oklahoma City, Okla., and Providence, R. I.; and
in 1909 at Springfield, 111.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Muskogee, Okla.;
and a municipal agency at Newark, N. J.
At the end of 1909 there were twice as many public employment
offices as had been in existence in 1903—just as 1903 had seen a doub­
ling of the number of offices since 1900.
In 1910, the Oklahoma Labor Department opened a third State
office at Enid. In 1911, Indiana created offices at Evansville, Fort
Wayne, South Bend, and Terre Haute, while in 1912 a municipal em­
ployment agency was opened in Everett, Wash., and a State office in
Louisville, Ky.
During the business depression which began in 1913 and continued
through 1914 and the early part of 1915, the number of public em­
ployment offices increased greatly. Exclusive of the Federal offices
established during the latter part of that period, there were created
during these throe yeails 29 offices, as follows:
During 1913, Berkeley, Cal.; Denver, Colo.; Rockford and Rock
Island-Moline, 111., and Worcester, Mass. During 1914, Los Angeles,
Cal.; St. Joseph, Mo.; New York, N. Y .; Dallas and Fort Worth,
Tex., and Bellingham, Wash. During 1915, Boise, Idaho; Chicago,




16

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

111.; Des Moine&, Iowa; Louisville, K y.; Flint, Mich., and Lincoln,.
Nebr. (State and municipal) ; Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester
and Syracuse, N. Y .; Akron and Youngstown, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.;.
Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Johnstown, Pa., and Richmond, Va*.
In 1916 eleven other offices came into existence: Jersey City, N. J.
Altoona and Pittsburg, Pa.; Sacramento, San Francisco, and Oak*
land, Cal.; Battle Creek, Bay City, Lansing, and Muskegon, Mich.;
and Omaha, Nebr.
The grand total thus attained was 96—exactly one-half of which
have been created since 1910. The increase in the number of Ameri­
can public employment offices is shown in the table following:
T a b le

2.—NUMBER OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES ESTABLISHED IN THE UNITED*
STATES, BY YEAR GROUPS, 1890 TO 1916. .
New offices estab­
lished.
Year group.
Number.
1890........................
1891-1895................
1896-1900................
1901-1905................
1906-1910................
1911-1915................
1916........................

5
2
5
14
23
36
11

Yearly
average.
5.0
.4
1.0
2.8
4.6
7.2
11.0

The chief significance of this table is that it shows that ever since
1890 more public employment offices have been established in each
five-year group than in the preceding one, increasing from a }^early
average of 0.4 during 1891-1895 to 7.2 from 1911 to 1915.
S U IT A B L E N E S S O F L O C A T IO N O F O F F IC E S .

Nearly all public employment offices are located in the business sec­
tions of their respective cities. The offices at Topeka, Kans., and
Lincoln, Nebr., located in the State Capitol Building, and that at
Des Moines, Iowa, in a building adjacent to the State capitol, are
among the exceptions to this rule.
A clear-cut division between the wholesale, retail, and manufac­
turing districts of many cities is impossible. In the smaller cities
in which public employment offices are maintained this is especially
true. In the larger cities a more nearly accurate statement may be ’
made. For example, the New York municipal bureau is in one of
the wholesale districts of the city, while the Brooklyn office is in
the heart of the retail section of that borough. The Philadelphia
bureau is on the outskirts of the main retail district, while the Pitts­
burgh office is located within that city’s wholesale district. In*.




STATE AND CITY PUBLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

17

Cleveland the offices are in the new city hall on the Lake front,
near the center of the retail business section, and not far from the
wholesale section. In Detroit the State employment agency is
within the wholesale district. The main State employment office
in Chicago is within “ The Loop,” while the unskilled-labor branch
is situated in a wholesale district not far from the union station.
Of course a public employment office should be located within easy
access of a considerable part of the local labor supply, and, so far as
possible, in a representative business section of the city. Too often
these factors count for but little in the actual selection. Altogether
too frequently locations are determined by the meagerness of the
appropriation for maintenance. In many instances the office is
located in a State, county, or city building, wholly without regard to
the suitableness of such a situation, merely because little or no rent
is charged. One office is located in the county courthouse because
the nominal rent charged is the amount which the janitor demands
as an additional payment on account of his increased duties.
Another office is in the city hall, in an inside room, difficult to reach,
and so small and ill ventilated that the atmosphere is always bad.
This room has to be used because the appropriations are inadequate
to pay for more suitable quarters. In one State the authorized ex­
penditure for each employment office created by the legislature is $250
per annum for equipment, rent, heat, light, telephone, and postage.
One public employment office in another State is located in a basement
room of the city hall, a building which is approximately a mile and a
half from the business center of the city. This undesirable location
is due wholly to the fact that the city charges no rent for this room
and the legislature has appropriated no money to be used as rent
for quarters for this office. So long as such a policy of penuri­
ousness is practiced by legislatures, the public employment offices
can never do really worth while work. The employment officers who
suffer from the legislation of lawmakers, whose idea of a public em­
ployment office is an office which costs the taxpayers nothing, will
continue to receive blame that properly belongs to the legislatures
which create the offices and then starve them.
It must not be assumed, however, that all locations in public build­
ings are unfortunate. On the contrary, in many cases they are quite
satisfactory, as for example, the present quarters of the Cleveland
office, the New York municipal office, the La Crosse, Wis., office, and
certain others. The equipment is not sufficient in some of these
offices, but unquestionably the location is quite as satisfactory as could
be reasonably expected.
Quite as important as geographical location with reference to
workers’ families (labor supply) and business houses (labor demand)
44291°— Bull. 241— 18------ 2




18

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

is location with reference to the street level. One public employ­
ment office is located on the thirteenth floor of an offiee building; one
is located on the eighth floor; and one on the sixth floor of a business
building. By way of contrast, a great many offices are situated in
basements, this condition being true of eight public agencies visited.
Less than half of the total number of public employment offices are
located on the ground floor.
E Q U IP M E N T .

'The matter of equipment is of vital importance to the successful
eonduct of an employment office. In the study of public employ­
ment offices covered by this report a very wide difference was found
in the character and extent of their equipment. The ideal office
would be one well located, both with reference to its nearness and
its easy accessibility to persons desiring work. It should be on the
first or ground floor, if possible. The quarters should be large enough
to avoid crowding, with separate rooms for unskilled laborers, skilled
male applicants, women and juveniles. There should be private
offices where the superintendent or other officers can have persona]
conversations, when desirable, with applicants. Light and ventila­
tion should be good, and toilet accommodations sufficient and sani­
tary. Desks and filing cases should be provided, to enable those in
charge to do their work efficiently and to keep their records so they
will be easily and readily accessible. It goes without saying that tele­
phones, typewriters, and other accessories should be provided.
In contrast to the above, some offices were found to be poorly
situated, in dark basements or on floors several stories above street
level, without regard to location, in some cases reached by dark
hallways, the rooms small, poorly lighted, ill ventilated, with no
provision for privacy of conversation, and with but few or none of
the modern office accessories which make for efficient work and the
keeping of adequate records. The possession or absence of desirable
quarters, furniture, and equipment probably depends largely upon
the amount of appropriations available and the ideas of the super­
intendent or other responsible person as to what constitutes good
equipment.
Of the 96 offices studied in detail, separate waiting rooms for
male and female applicants are provided in exactly half this number.
Separate waiting rooms for juvenile applicants were found in only
two offices. The superintendents of 36 of these public employment
bureaus have offices which are more or less private, which may be
used for consultation with employers seeking help or with individual
applicants having special matters to bring to the attention of the
superintendent.




STATE AN D CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OEEICES.

19

The following descriptions of the equipment of a few of the offices
visited will give a general idea of the differences in the equipment of
some of the best and some of the worst equipped offices:
Office No. 1 is one of the best equipped offices visited. Separate
rooms of sufficient size, all well* kept and thoroughly ventilated, are
provided for unskilled laborers (male), skilled applicants (male),
juveniles (male), and all women workers. The superintendents of
the various departments and the general superintendent all have
private offices and individual telephones. The public building in
the basement of which this office is situated was but recently con­
structed. Its corridors are wide and well lighted. Many toilets are
provided and all are sanitary. It is in connection with the unskilled
male applicants that the chief drawback of this office appears.
The waiting room provided for their use, while not small in com­
parison with the space provided in offices in many other cities,
is so limited that in busy times applicants are frequently uncom­
fortably crowded. There are but few benches provided for these
men. For purposes both of office efficiency and ventilation there is
a thrice-a-day regular clearing out hour when no applications far
unskilled work are received. The location of the office is only mod­
erately good from the standpoint of the nearness of the labor supply.
Furthermore, its proximity to the city’s water front is of itself a
handicap in cold weather, for it is necessary for those who seek em­
ployment—if they arrive before 7 a. m.—to huddle together outside
the office, often shivering on account of the intense cold, until the
doors are opened.
Office No. 2 was originally one very large room with two separate
entrances. For the purposes of this agency partition walls were
erected to create a separate waiting room for women. A second set
of partitions made an office room for the superintendent. In this
room, which is extremely crowded, are desks for five employees, in­
cluding the telephone switchboard operator. The women’s depart­
ment is attractive, with chairs and several desks for the use of ap­
plicants in making out their applications. There are two divisions
in the female department, one for mercantile, industrial, and pro­
fessional help, and the other for domestic, hotel, and restaurant help.
In both the women’s and men’s departments reading matter, consist­
ing of newspapers, magazines, and general material concerning trade
opportunities, is provided. Although the men’s department looks
very uninviting, it serves its purpose well. At four desks in a row
well up toward the front of the room clerks have charge of the fol­
lowing four classes of workers: (1) Juveniles, (2) tradesmen and
professionals, (3) farm hands and domestics, and (4) laborers.
Iron railings separate the groups and materially assist in the main­
tenance of order. Toilets are provided for men patrons of the office.




20

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N ITED STATES.

Office No. 3 consists of three separate parts, one for general and
unskilled laborers, another for boys and men, exclusive of unskilled
laborers, and another for girls and women. The equipment, which
is especially noteworthy, includes the following: Several large
blackboards on which all opportunities for employment are listed;
signs bearing the inscription “ This is not a charitable institution but
a public service maintained by the State” ; a mimeograph machine
which is put to important uses each day; a private telephone ex­
change system with ten incoming trunk lines connecting all parts of
the office; two file cases of suitable size and construction for their
respective uses—card records and correspondence; five first-class
typewriters; time recording clocks used by all employees of the
agency; and name signs on the desks of each officer. The fact that
the amount paid out in rent alone in 1916-17 was nearly $7,000 in­
dicates something of the elaborateness of the “ plant.” Moreover, the
annual expenditure for the maintenance and equipment of this office
is approximately $5,000.
But even this office has many drawbacks and handicaps which
were discussed in a special report of an investigation of this agency
made at the request of its superintendent by an inspector of the State
board of health. The following unfavorable comments are taken di­
rectly therefrom:
M A IN

OFFIC E .

Light reaches the back and front parts o f the office satisfactorily enough, but
in the central part where several clerks work the light is so weak even on bright
days that artificial lighting is essential.
No means are provided for ventilation except through five small transoms,
each about 5 feet by 1£ feet in area. These transoms are swung at the center
and cannot be opened so as to make available the fu ll opening. On quiet days
there is practically no movement o f air through the room, though on windy days
considerable change o f air takes place, causing objectionable and injurious
draughts. When the wind is from the west much o f the air that enters through
the transoms is the exhaust air from a neighboring restaurant kitchen with all
its accompanying odors o f cooking.
The office space occupies the center o f the room and is surrounded by a low
railing. Instead o f this railing there should be partitions similar to those used
in banks and express companies, with windows cut therein through which con­
versations between employees o f the bureau and applicants for employment
should take place.
The offices are exceedingly difficult to keep clean and sanitary because o f the
wooden floor, plastered walls, and poor furniture, especially the benches occu­
pied by applicants.
There are no public toilets for men and the existing men employees’ toilet
has wooden floors and plastered walls.
There is a genuine need for three new typewriters, two cloakrooms, modern
desks for the general superintendent and the chief clerk, instead o f the anti­
quated ones which they now have.




STATE AND CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

21

FEMALE DEPARTMENT.

Here the only means o f securing ventilation is the opening o f a door in the
rear and windows in the front. This on quiet days produces no effective change
o f aii\ and on windy days causes draughts.
The room is a most unprepossessing place in general appearance, having on
one side a white plastered wall, more or less dirty, and on the other, a white­
washed brick wall. The ceiling shows the bare wood o f the floor construction
o f the succeeding story.
The window lighting is wholly inadequate, especially in the rear part, which
receives practically no daylight. The artificial lighting system is, however,
satisfactory.
A suitable com fort room for women seeking employment is the greatest need
o f the department. The women employees o f the office certainly need a room to
which they may retire at noon and for rest.
GENERAL LABOR DEPARTMENT.

The lighting, which is entirely from the front through plate glass windows,
is wholly inadequate and reaches scarcely one-third o f the distance from the
rear o f the office even on bright days.
The lack o f ventilation in this room last summer became so bad that a
24-inch fan was installed at the back of the room, which draws the air from
the room through two 16-inch belts, and discharges it into an alleyway in the
rear. Thus a great improvement has already been made, but further gains
along these lines are essential.
This room is more unprepossessing looking than the others. Furthermore,
recent adjustments o f grades in the neighborhood o f the railroad station have
caused the floor o f this room now7 to be one or two feet below the sidewalk
level. This condition materially increases the amount o f dust that enters the
room in dry w^eather, much to the discom fort o f all occupants.

Since the State inspector’s report was made a new double posi­
tion telephone switchboard has been installed and placed in a differ­
ent location from the old one, which gives about 160 additional feet
of floor space. Several new telephone terminals and trunk lines have
been added, which provide much better telephone service, and better
lighting facilities have been provided. The room for the unskilled
labor office has been rearranged and iron railings added, which has
greatly increased the space utilized by the applicants. On the whole
the changes and improvements have added greatly to the efficiency of
the office*
Office No. 4 is located below the level of the street in the base­
ment of a public building and is reached by following a long, dark,
winding hallway. ’Years ago there was painted on the windows of
the office the legend—“ Free Employment Office.” The words are
now scarcely distinguishable. The light admitted through the two
windows is inadequate even on bright days, while during the winter
months the office is wholly dependent on artificial light. The equip­
ment consists of two tables, a desk, one telephone, a few chairs, and a
railing to indicate a separation of the superintendent’s office from




22

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

the waiting room. In these quarters there is no possible privacy of
conversation.
Office No. 5 is a half story underground in a building which years
ago was used as a county courthouse. There appear outside the of­
fice announcements in Slovak and one other Slavic language, as well
as in English, that here is the u ---------Free Employment Agency.”
The only waiting room for men is a space approximately 14 feet by
7 feet without any conveniences and into which no light comes.
There is no passageway from this room into the office of the clerk in '
charge of placements. Men apply for jobs through a kind of “ bank ”
window. Naturally, this dark, unwholesome, smelly hole is a real
menace to health. It receives a general cleaning only once in two
weeks. This includes, however, a fumigation by the use of formal­
dehyde and other deodorants. A coal stove located in the superin­
tendent’s office (which adjoins that of the clerk above mentioned) is
intended to heat both rooms and is successful in making the air more
vitiated. There is no separate waiting room for women.
Office No. 6 is situated very near police headquarters in the base­
ment of the city hall. The quarters are two tiny rooms, illy kept,
badly ventilated, poorly lighted, and thoroughly unsanitary. Prac­
tically the only equipment is contained in the superintendent’s office.
Into this room are crowded four employees in a space sufficient for
not more than two.
Office No. T has one entrance for all persons coming to it to secure
help or employment. A low railing in the small waiting room sepa­
rates the male and female applicants. There are two telephones pro­
vided, one belonging to each of the two companies serving the city.
The floor space is very limited and the ceiling very low. A sufficient
number of chairs is provided for the normal number of applicants.
Ventilation is very poor and the employees frequently suffer from
headache. One oversight by this office is the omission of the name
of the bureau from the classified subscribers in the telephone direc­
tory. A stranger seeking to make use of the office would have con­
siderable difficulty in learning its telephone number or location un­
less he happened to know the exact name under which it is listed in
the general alphabetical arrangement of subscribers.
All of the offices have telephone service, varying from a single re­
ceiver to a double switchboard; yet the woeful lack of uniformity
as to the name by which these public employment offices are locally
known precludes the possibility of their rendering their maximum
service, especially to newcomers. In the smaller cities this is not an
important factor, but in metropolitan centers it constitutes a serious
defect of the offices.




STATE AND CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

23

PERSONNEL AND MANNER OF APPOINTMENT.

There are 34 public employment offices which have but- one em­
ployee each. In seven of these offices the employees give but a part
of their time to employment matters. In one office the clerk in
charge devotes on an average less than one hour a day to this sort
of work. The rest of her day in the office is given over to her duties
as stenographer in the State department of labor.
The other extreme is found in an office which has a general super­
intendent, a chief clerk, 3 department superintendents, 3 assistant
department superintendents, 6 business solicitors, 5 general clerks,
4 department clerks, 3 file clerks, 1 interpreter, 4 stenographers, 2
telephone switchboard operators, 2 policemen (office paid), 1 messen­
ger, and 2 janitors.
Between these limits come the greater number of public employment
offices. A majority of these are run on the laissez-faire principle, the
attitude of the superintendent being that the function of a public
employment office is to a match ” applications for help with appli­
cations for employment—not to “ seek’ business but to accept such
as comes to it. Along this line it is worthy to note that only six
offices have employees whose primary function is the solicitation of
new business. Yet it must not be implied from the foregoing statement
that none of the other bureaus solicit cooperation from employers and
employees who have never before patronized the office; for many
of them do. Not only do they do that but, dependent upon the per­
sonal initiative and interest of the superintendent, they attempt to
find positions for applicants who seek wTork in lines for which no ap­
plications for workers have yet been received, or to secure applicants
to fill calls already received.
In 4 of the 15 States which conduct two or more employment
offices, all the appointees are men. In none of these four States is
this action taken because of any legal requirements. Probably the
determining factor to a considerable extent is politics. In none of
these States are the employment office employees appointed as a re­
sult of civil-service examinations.




24

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

The table following shows how many offices h^ve one employee,
how many have two, and so on, and how many of these employees are
appointed in accordance with civil-service laws:
T a b le 3 .— N U M B E R O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O FF IC E S H A V IN G E A C H SP E C IF IE D
N U M B E R OF E M P L O Y E E S , A N D N U M B E R O F E M P L O Y E E S U N D E R C IV IL S E R V IC E .

Number of employees.
Number of em­
ployees per
office.

N um ­
ber of
offices.

1 employee...........

9
25
34

Total

2employees
Total..........
3 employees.........

Not
Under
under
civil
civil
service.
service.

9

9

25

9
25

25

34

Number of em­
ployees per
office.

6employees.........

21
6
1
3

18
3

21

21

‘ 18

2

1

10

19

4 employees.........
5 employees.........

4
4

20

6
10

18

3
18

18

38

6 8employees.........
18
9 employees.........
10employees____
42
em ployees.. . .
111
A ympiuycui.
flmnlAVOflc •. •
±*i

9

18
3
9

11

30
Total

16 employees____
18 employees____
19 employees____
employees____
38 employees____

16

A ll offices..............

16

12
12

20

21

30

50

Num ­
ber of
offices.

5

Total..........

Not
Under under
civil
Total.
civil
sen ice.
service.

1

30

7

32

I

XUOal. . .s. . ,
9
3
9

..........

Total..........

Total.

Number of employees.

1
1
1
1
1
1I
1

30

2

4
$

10
8

9

10
11
14

18
19
15
28

43
13
40

192
67

96

259

....
6

6
6

A.0

8
9
10
11

14
16
18
19

21

10

38

37
82

192
104
82

119

378

In those offices some of whose employees are, and some are not,
appointed under civil-service regulations it is almost invariably true
that the superintendents or persons in charge are not civil-service
appointees. In other words, the principle of selection according to
a merit basis is recognized as fitting for clerks, stenographers, typists,
messengers, etc., but not for those in positions of responsibility.
The mere mention of the number of employees chosen under civilservice principles tends to exaggerate the true condition concerning
their selection. For example, in one State a certain political party
was in power for many years, but at an election a few years ago
there was a change of control. Immediately the legislature enacted
a law providing that the governor might waive the civil-service reg­
ulations on recommendation from the head of any department.
Thereupon the State commissioner of labor, under whose direction
the public employment offices are conducted, recommended that the
rules be waived. This was done. The governor then appointed men
of his own party to take the places of his political opponents who
had been holding these positions. This change was made regardless
of whether the work of these employment offices had been carried on
satisfactorily or not. In one office, however, a man of the governor’s
own party who had been employed many years before but who had




STATE AND CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

25

since lost his eyesight was retained. After the new appointees had
qualified they were “ blanketed” into the civil service.
In another State whenever there is a change of political control
all the officials of all the State public employment offices tender their
resignations to the governor or the State labor commissioner, despite
the fact that they are supposed to be appointed in accordance with
the civil-service law.
In another State in which appointments to positions in all the
employment offices come under the civil-service law it was found
that in one city of over 100,OuO population four out of five emplo}^ees
in one office were related to each other.
The fact that a person has passed a civil-service examination does
not necessarily prove that he is the most competent person to fill a
given position, but such an examination, based on the requirements
of the service to be rendered, is a test of his education and general
intelligence and his qualifications for the job, and it is fairly pre­
sumable that he would be better qualified than one who has under­
gone no test, but is selected on account of his political affiliations.
Further, the civil-service regulations have a tendency to make em­
ployment permanent, and the knowledge gained by years of expe­
rience in the peculiar work of an employment office can be counted
on to render a person a much more efficient and valuable worker than
an inexperienced political appointee.
The distribution of authorized appropriations and the limited
salaries allowed to employees of certain offices are factors enter­
ing into the selection of the best qualified persons for the various
positions open. It is usually not the fault of an appointing
officer that sometimes men and women of little or no training in
the work expected of them are chosen. Too often the official in
charge of appointments is helpless to do otherwise than as he does.
The wonder is not that better employees are not chosen but that
those appointed are as capable as they are in the management and
other work of public employment offices.
In those offices which have separate departments for males and
females it is generally true that a man, usually called the superin­
tendent, is in charge of the male division, while his assistant is a
woman and in charge of the female division. Yet there are excep­
tions to this general rule. In two offices of one State which is well
advanced in public employment activities there is a general superin­
tendent in each case in nominal charge of the office, but all place­
ment work for both men and women is left to two assistants.
OFFICE HOURS.

The character of the labor with which an office must chiefly deal
should determine the hour when it should be opened in the morn-




26

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N ITED STATES.

iiig. Uniformity is therefore not necessary or even desirable, but a
definite relation should exist between the local needs and the hours
observed. It is manifestly unimportant whether the employees of
an office which chiefly supplies help, and receives calls for help, on
the “ mail order ” basis, report for duty at 8, 8.30, or 9 a. m. On the
other hand, an office whose greatest opportunity for service lies in
furnishing factory hands ought to open sufficiently early to enable
the persons seeking employment through its instrumentality to re­
port for work the same day and receive a full day’s assignment. The
adoption of such a policy may mean that complete readjustment must
be made of the hours during which offices are to be kept open.
Furthermore, the fact that the unskilled ‘labor branch of a pub­
lic employment office opens at 7 a. m. is not by any means a sufficient
reason why the mechanical and industrial or the clerical and profes­
sional branches ought to be opened at the same time.
The following table shows how many of the offices studied open
at the hours designated:
T a b le 4 .—N U M B E R

OF O FFIC ES W H IC H

O P E N A T E A C H SP E C IF IE D H O U R .

Hour for opening.

7.00 a. m ..........................
7.30 a. m ..........................

8.00a. m ..........................

8.30 a. m .........................
9.00 a. m ..........................

Number
of offices.

15

10
10

52

9

While the closing hour of an employment office is not so important
as the hour of opening, it is desirable that the office should remain
open throughout the ordinary business hours.
The table which follows shows the closing hours of these employ­
ment offices, also the number closing at each hour:
T ab lb .

5.

—

N U M B E R O F O F F IC E S W H IC H C LO SE A T E A C H S P E C IF IE D H O U R .

Hour for closing.

11.30 a.
3.30 p.
4.0G p.
4.30 p.
5.00 p.
5.30 p.
6.00 p.

m . . . . ................
m .......................
m .......................
sn.......................
m ............ '. ____
m .......................
m .......................

Number
of offices.

4
1
20
4
6*
3
3

The next table shows the number of hours per day, Monday to
Friday inclusive, that the various offices remain open, and the number
of offices which are open each specified number of hours:




STATE AND C ITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.
T

able

6 .—

27

N U M B E R O F O F F IC E S W H IC H A R E O P E N E A C H S P E C IF IE D N U M B E R
O F H O U R S.

Hours open daily,
Monday to Friday,
inclusive.
4 hours. . . _____ ______
7 hours............................
7J hours..........................
f hours..........................
8 hours............................
8J hours..........................
9 hours............................
9i- hours..........................
hours.........................
J hours........................
hours..........................

7

10
10
11

Number
of offices.

4
14
4
1
24

2
2
10

33

1
1

Four of the Michigan offices open at 7.30 a. m. and close, at 11.30
a. m. daily. During these hours they are probably enabled to trans­
act more business than during any other four hours of the day.
The question naturally arising is, “ Why are they not open in the
afternoons? ” The answer is that thejr would be if the legislature
had made an appropriation large enough to maintain them as they
ought to be maintained and equipped. The latest annual appropria­
tion for the Michigan Department of Labor was $45,000, from which
all expenses and the salaries of employees and officials, except the
salaries of the commissioner and his two deputies, had to be paid.
In view of the fact that all the work in connection with factory in­
spection, licensing of private employment agencies, inspection of
mines and quarries, and conciliation and arbitration, in addition to
conducting the public employment offices, had to be paid for out of
that sum the inadequacy of the appropriation is easily discernible.
It is deserving of note that despite the handicaps 10 offices were
established, 4 of which, however, could remain open only four hours
a day.
One of the Illinois State bureaus when visited was opened by
the janitor at 6 a. m. to allow applicants to come inside and wait,
instead of remaining in the street until 7 a. m., when the superin­
tendent reported for duty. At the time when data for this report
were secured no other public employment office was making any
attempt to open before 7 a. m. The usefulness of these offices
would be increased if they could be opened before rather than after
7 a. m. There are some exceptions to this statement, as in the case of
offices like most of those found in the grain States, whose primary
function is supplying information concerning labor conditions rather
than engaging principally in actual placement work.
A most intensive investigation by State labor officials into em­
ployment needs would show whether public employment offices might
profitably close earlier in the day than they now do. From an ex­
amination of afternoon conditions in many of the offices visited it is




28

Pu b l ic

em ploym ent

o f f ic e s

in

the

u n it e d

states.

believed that special hours within which to file applications should
be set aside for persons seeking various sorts of work, the time saved
being used in more thorough examinations of applications for help
and employment in the interest of better placements. The informa­
tion gained would also enable the office to close earlier. The special
gain from an earlier closing is that an earlier opening is made
possible, which is most desirable in all offices in industrial centers.
There are many variations from the hours here shown. For ex­
ample, the two Denver State bureaus open half an hour later and
close half an hour earlier during the winter months. Nearly all the
offices (except those regularly closed Saturday afternoons) closs
earlier on Saturday in the summer months than at other seasons of
the year. The harvest season causes many irregularities in the ob­
servance of hours. These include earlier openings, later closings,
discontinuance of Saturday half-holidays, and in one State a full
day’s work on Sundays. The most extreme variation is found in
the closing of the Fall River, Mass., office1 for the entire month of
August of each year.
Recently there has been a rather general attempt among the
larger offices to set aside definite hours each day for registering ap­
plicants for specific classes of positions, but the office at Akron, Ohio,
is the only one of the smaller offices known to have done likewise.
Notable examples of the idea of the division of the day into hourly
groups according to the sort of work sought are found in Boston,
Brooklyn, and Cleveland. In the Chicago State office it is well
understood that juveniles seeking positions must apply before noon.
Almost all offices, large and small, recognize the fact that unskilled
labor positions are chiefly available early in the morning and that
relatively few such placements are possible after noon.
As illustrative of a special hourly classification, reference is made
here to page 19, Ninth Annual Report of the State Free Employ­
ment Offices, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the year ending
November 30, 1915, where, in connection with the women’s unskilled
department, the following remarks are made:
The other important branch in this department is the housework girl division,
to wThich during the past year the hours o f from 1 p. m. to 3.30 p. m. have been
devoted, the period from 1 p. m. to 2.15 p. m. being set apart for housekeepers,
matrons, and housework women over 30 years o f age. Owing to the depression
in business a year and a half ago, it was found that the department was
crowded from 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 with practically the same women, while hun­
dreds were unable to come in. In order to make it practicable it was decided
to divide the time the office was open for business into hours for various kinds
o f work. Accordingly it was arranged as follow s :




1 This office was discontinued early in 1917.

STATE AND CITY PUBLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

29

Washing, cleaning, scrub women, 9 to 10 a. m .; kitchen and restaurant, 10 to
11 a. m .; cooks, 10.30 a. m. to 12 m .; hotel workers, 11 a. m. to 12 m .; house­
work, 1 p. m. to close o f business.
The change has been o f great benefit to the employers and the women in
search o f work, as each hour sees newT faces for the specified work in that hour.
This has been particularly noticed in the housework division. The applicants
are o f better grade than form erly, especially in the younger element, who has
previously declined to come and wait in overcrowded room s; and although the
demand is at present larger than the supply, we are now able to please em­
ployers with suitable girls.

The same idea of classification is carried out in detail for nearly
all sorts of work in both the male and female departments in the
Cleveland office.
APPROPRIATIONS AND EXPENDITURES.

It has been impossible to secure complete financial data for all of
the 96 State and municipal offices included in this part of this report.
Various reasons may be given for this fact. First, there was the
question of authority—some superintendents saying that they were
without authority to reveal expenditures; second, in some cases there
were private agreements between States and cities; and third, no
additional appropriations were made by some municipalities and
States to maintain public employment ojjices, persons already on
their pay rolls being assigned to the task of conducting this new
work.
In spite of these handicaps fairly accurate figures have been ob­
tained from 92 offices as to expenditures for superintendence and
salaries of employees, and from 93 offices as to the last annual rental
paid. Whenever an office was opened for less than a full year the
annual rate at which its employees and rent were paid has been used
instead of the actual expenditure for the time included in the report.
Therefore the figures shown in General Table A are to that extent
comparable, for in each case they represent a full year’s expenditure.
The only difference consists in the fact that figures for the same
year were not available in all cases. The latest JJgures have been
used in each case.
Superintendence includes different items in different reports. The
cost of general supervision of State offices has, in some State reports,
been prorated to the accounts of the various agencies and has been
included in the totals reported for superintendence. When, however,
it has been possible to separate supervision charges from salaries
paid employees, this has been done, and a statement of salaries paid
only to the employees of the public employment offices has been used.
Most reports do not include statements of expenses of supervision.




30

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N ITED STATES.

Furthermore, some offices with two employees consider one as a
superintendent, the other as a clerk, while others regard both as
superintendents, one of the male department, the other of the female,
or perhaps one is considered as superintendent and the other as as­
sistant superintendent. For the purpose of proper comparison the
table that follows shows the range of salaries paid to the one person
at the head of each agency. In some offices the one person employed
is not technically regarded as the superintendent or manager or chief
official of the office by the local authorities under whom he serves.
For the purpose of tabulation, however, in these cases such a person
has been considered as superintendent, although technically he is
subordinate to some such person as a municipal director of public
welfare.
T a b le 7.— N U M B E R OF E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S P A Y IN G E A C H C L A S S IF IE D A M O U N T
TO T H E S U P E R IN T E N D E N T O R O T H E R O F F IC IA L IN C H A R G E .

Classified salaries paid to chief official.

Less than $800 ..............................................
$800 to $1 000................................ - .................'
$1 001 to $1 200
.............................. .........
$1*201 to $1 400 ..............................................
$1401 to $1700 ..............................................

Number
of offices.

8
12
.29
3
22

Classified salaries paid to chief official.

$1,701 to $2.000..........................................
$2,100 to $3,000.............................................
Not reported..................................................
Total.................................................

Number
of offices.

12
3
7
96

In order to use the data furnished concerning salaries paid other
employees there has been subtracted from the total annual pay roll
the amount received by superintendents. The resulting figures are
shown by salary groups in Table 8:
T a b le 8 .— N U M B E R O F E M P L O Y M E N T O FFIC ES E X P E N D I N G E A C H C L A S SIF IE D
A M O U N T F O R S A L A R IE S O T H E R T H A N S U P E R IN T E N D E N T S , D U R IN G O N E Y E A R .

Classified amounts expended for clerical
help.

Less than $500.
$501 to $750.. .
$751 to $1,000..
$1,001 to $1,500
$1,501 to $2,000
$2,001 to $3,000
$3,001 to $4,000
$4,001 to $5,000

Number
of offices.

Classified amounts expended for clerical
help.

$5,001 to $10,000.
$10;001 to $12,000
$12,001 to $18,000
Over $25,000____
N ot reported___

Number
of offices.

1
26

Total.........

In the tabulation of rents paid, as shown in Table 9, the expres­
sion “ rent free ” has been used in case the office is not charged wi^h
any expenditure for rent. In many cases the fact that rent is free
is due to a spirit of cooperation between municipalities and counties
and the State, although there may be no definite agreement between
them to allow the maintenance of a public employment office in the
city hall, county courthouse, or other public building.




STATE AN D CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

31

Table 9.—NUM BER

OF EM PLO YM EN T O FFICES T H A T EXP E N D E D EA CH CLASSI­
F IE D AM OU NT FOR R EN T DU RING ONE Y EAR .

Classified amounts paid for rent.
Less than $200....... .............................
35201 to $300 ......................................
5301 to M00.........................................
$401 to $500 .......................................
H'501 to $600
............................ .......
iti50
.........................................
.........................
$701 to $800
$801 to S900
....................................
$1,001 to $1,100..................... , ..............

Number of
offices.
7
7
4
6

5

1
2

Classified amounts paid for rent.

Number of
offices.

$1,101 to $1,200.....................................
$1,500...................................................
$1,701 to $2,000.....................................
Over $2,100..........................................
Rent free.................................. ..........
Not reported.......................................

4
4
42
3

Total.........................................

96

3

4
2

2

FEES.
The only public employment office which now charges any fees
(and these it limits very materially) is at Boise City, Idaho. Chap­
ter 169 of the Acts of the Idaho Legislature for 1915, section 6, pro­
vides that:
A fee of one dollar ($1.00) shall be charged by any municipal employment office
for each position secured for any applicant without the limits of the munici­
pality in which such employment office is situated, and a fee of fifty cents (500)
shall be charged for each position secured by any applicant within the limits of
the municipality in which such agency is situated.

No fee is charged employers. In practice not all fees have been
collected. Those unable to pay at the time they were sent out to
positions have not been required to pay in all cases. For the past 18
months the plan has been adopted of arranging with the employer
for the collection of such fees and also for transportation advanced
in deserving cases. When this is done, the applicant signs a state­
ment of willingness to have such deduction made from wages.
From May, 1915, to January, 1916, inclusive, fees amounting to
$164.50 were collected, of which $11.50 was returned to applicants.

M E T H O D S U S E D T O S E C U R E A P P L IC A N T S A N D P L A C E S F O R
A P P L IC A N T S .
Visits to the various employment offices and inquiries addressed to
superintendents disclosed the fact that in many instances little or no
effort is made to secure w^ork for applicants or workers for pros­
pective employers. The policy pursued is often one of waiting,
Micawber like, for something to turn up.
The extent of publicity attempted by one office consists in having
a wagon driven about the city twice each week, on the sides of which
are signs giving the address of the office and requesting the public
to use it. In other instances an occasional advertisement in a news­
paper, or a sign reading “ --------- Free Employment Office Open
---------is the extent of the effort made to render the employment




32

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

cffice an effective help to persons wanting work and to employers
wanting workers.
In contrast to this sort of lackadaisical, slipshod “ publicity cam­
paign ” mention is made of a method followed by the Los Angeles
office, which has purchased two automobiles for use by two of its
regular employees whose duties consist solely in soliciting new busi­
ness. They drive about the surrounding counties advertising the
office, telling of its purposes, and asking the cooperation of all em­
ployers and persons seeking work. This office, by no means content
with this method, effective as it is, follows many others to make its
work more effective. For example, there are constantly appearing
in the southern California newspapers stories of the work it is per­
forming. Its officials frequently address business organizations,
civic associations, and women’s clubs on the subject of the need of
increased publicity concerning the work of the office.
An employment office in one of our largest cities has secured an
agreement for free advertising with two of the important city dailies.
A conservative estimate of the price that would be charged a private
enterprise for the same amount of advertising is $40,000 a year. In
addition there is hearty cooperation on the part of other newspapers
in the city in the matter of news items. The public, through these
means, is informed of any matter of especial interest concerning the
work of the employment office. There is, moreover, regular adver­
tising, free of charge to the office, in certain foreign-language publi­
cations. At specified seasons of the year there are news items and
advertisements in weekly newspapers or monthly magazines devoted
to definite topics, such as agriculture, engineering, mechanics, etc.
Each day this office receives from each of the other public employ­
ment offices of the State a list of the positions which it has been
unable to fill. Thereupon this office prepares a mimeographed list
of all such positions, together with the vacant ones at its own head­
quarters, and mails these lists to approximately 200 philanthropic
and civic associations and to each of the other employment offices of
the State. There is genuine cooperation between this office and the
Federal employment office, located in the same city, both with regard
to placing applicants and to securing applicants for vacant positions.
Furthermore, this office employs three persons, two men and one
woman, as solicitors, whose business is to canvass as many employers
as possible each day, informing them of the facilities of the office
and urging them to call upon it. for such help as they may need.
A public employment office located in a relatively small city of the
Middle West has a superintendent who makes it a part of his regular
business to visit at least once each week every employer within his
district. He keeps on file in his office a classified list of employers3




STATE AND CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

33

showing not only the sort of work in which they are engaged but also
in detail the number of men and women they employ, according to
occupations. Whenever an applicant for employment goes into his
office and specifies that he is able to do work of a certain sort for
which no call has been received, the superintendent immediately
telephones to first one and then another of the employers who are
listed as employing labor of the sort which the applicant states he
can do and continues to call them until either the list is exhausted
or he has placed the applicant.
A public employment office located in a city having a very large
foreign population justly prides itself upon the fact that members of
its office force have a speaking knowledge of 18 distinct European
languages. As a result foreigners coming to this office are soon
enabled to make their wants known to at least one member of the
bureau’s staff, thereby making the securing of employment easier.
In one large eastern city the superintendent of the public employ­
ment office has several times availed himself of the opportunity pre­
sented to write editorials for the Journal of the Chamber of Com­
merce of that city, setting forth rather completely facts concerning
the office in which large employers of labor would be interested. As
a result of this method of publicity the placements by the office have
steadily increased during the last year and a half.
Another means of enlisting the cooperation of at least a part of
the public was adopted by one office, which secured the publication by
the local board of education of a pamphlet urging school children not
to leave school until it was absolutely necessary or at least until they
had definitely learned how to do well some one thing in the line which
they expected to follow as a life vocation.
A few novel features of the placement work of the Kansas City
office oil behalf of women are worth mentioning. Signs are placed
in laundries, factories, and department stores urging girls not to
leave their employment until they have at least talked the matter over
with the superintendent of the women’s department of the Kansas
City Federal-State Labor Exchange. Cards are distributed to rail­
road station matrons to be given to girls seeking employment in
Kansas City. In addition, certain women’s organizations and com­
mercial bureaus cooperate for the placement of girls and women in
office positions.
Several of the superintendents of the larger employment offices
hav& decided to take an active part in calling the attention of various
civic organizations to the work of the offices. As a result of this deci­
sion they have made addresses not only to members of these organiza­
tions, but also to manufacturers and mercantile associations, women’s
clubs, and parent-teachers’ associations. Too much emphasis can not
44291°— Bull. 241— 18-------3




34

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

be placed upon the part that newspapers have taken in bringing to the
attention of the public the specific needs of both employers and em­
ployees. The press has made it clear in the majority of cases that the
work done by the office in no sense partakes of the nature of charity,
but that it is engaged in by the public for the public good.
All those offices which are located in what are known as the grain
States, extending from Texas on the south to Montana, North
Dakota, and Minnesota on the north, have organized an association
of labor officials, the purpose of which is to learn definitely, in ad­
vance, of the agricultural needs of each of the communities con­
cerned. As illustrative of what this association attempts to do,
the following letter, sent out from the division of free employment
of the Department of Labor and Industry of the State of Kansas, in
June, 1916, is given:
D epartm ent

of

L abor

D iv is io n

of

and

I n d u stry,

F r ee E

m plo ym en t,

Topeka, Kans., June 5, 1916.
Kansas will begin harvesting another large wheat crop within a few days.
Reports to this department indicate that 45,000 men will be needed in the har­
vest fields. Information to this office indicates that $2.50 a day will be paid
harvest hands in most of the counties of the wheat belt, with higher wages to
stackers. Threshing will absorb a large per cent of the men who come for the
harvest. Others will be difected to points farther north as the season advances.
Copies of this bulletin may be secured by applying to the State Free Employ­
ment Bureau at Topeka or its agents at Wichita and Hutchinson; to C. L.
Green, of the United States Bureau of Immigration at Kansas City, M o .; the
State Free Employment Bureaus at Kansas City and St. Joseph, M o .; or to
W . G. Ashton, commissioner of labor, at Oklahoma City, Okla. Men seeking
employment in the Kansas wheat harvest may depend on the direction of any
of the above agencies.
Most of the counties can use Germans. Trego, Rawlins, Rooks, Pawnee,
Grove, Edwards, Ellsworth, Cloud, and Mitchell counties can use Russian,
Bohemian, Swede, Austrian, and Scandinavian speaking people.
This department can not advance transportation to harvest hands, nor do we
know of any other agency that will do so. Men must pay their own railroad
fare. However, they should not pay fees to private employment agencies. The
public agencies will direct them to employment and will make no charge for
their services.
The following table gives the number of men needed in each county, as shown
by reports to this department, stations where needed, names of persons to
whom men may go direct, probable wages, and date at which wheat cutting is
now expected to begin in each county. Harvest work is heavy and calls for
strong, able-bodied men.
Yours, truly,

Director State F ree Em ployment Bureau.

This letter appears on the first page of a four-page pamphlet.
On pages 2, 3, and 4 there are listed by counties the number of men,
teams, and cooks needed, with probable wage paid to each class and




STATE AN D C ITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

35

the probable date for the harvest to begin in each county, together
with the names of those agencies at which, or officials of whom,
inquiiy should be made concerning the securing of positions.
On the 1st day of May, 1916, a letter was addressed to well-known
representative farmers or grange representatives in each county
which contained, among other questions, the following:
W hat is the acreage of wheat in your vicinity which at this time seems likely
to be harvested this year?
Is wheat suffering from lack of moisture or from the presence of insect pest*
of any kind?
How will this year’s crop compare with the yield of last year if present con­
ditions continue?
Is farm labor in your county plentiful or scarce?

On the 26th day of May a second letter was sent to the people to
whom the first letter was addressed, which included the following
questions:
Is the acreage of wheat in your county which will be harvested greater than
last year?
Has wheat been injured in any way since May 1?
How does present condition compare with condition at same time last year?
How many outside hands do you estimate are needed in your section of the
county ?
How many in the county?
At what other points in county beside your town are men needed?
To whom should men be directed at the various points in your county?
How many extra men with teams are needed in your county? W ages?
How many women cooks are needed in your county? Wages?
Can you use non-English speaking foreign labor in your section?
I f so, what nationality?
Can you use negro labor in your section?
W hat time do you now expect harvest to begin in your section?
W hat will be the average wages paid to men?
What, if any, arrangements have been made locally to distribute harvest help?
W ill there be work for extra men in your section before harvest begins?
W hat efforts are being made locally to bring men into your section?

This letter is similar to letters prepared by other members of the
association mentioned above and is mailed to all of the owners of
the large agricultural holdings, to all grange and farmers’ unions,
to county clerks and such other persons as are familiar with the
agricultural needs of their communities. Six weeks after the send­
ing of the letter of May 1, referred to above, the director of the
employment bureau sent a follow-up letter calling attention to the
indications which pointed to a shortage of men to begin the harvest­
ing of wheat. The third paragraph in this letter is a quotation from
a statement made by Mr. C. L. Green, United States inspector gen­
eral in charge of employment and distribution at Kansas City, Mo.,
which reads as follows:




36

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

I believe that the farmers will have to increase the wages offered to attract
the men from the East. There are great numbers of men offering their services
if transportation is advanced. I know that this can not be arranged, but I
believe that some of the farmers would profit by coming here or to Topeka
and taking the men out with them, deducting the transportation from the pay of
the men. This would be risky, I know, but I can see no other way at present
for them to get the men needed.

The domestic problem is as difficult for employment offices as for
housewives to solve. During the past two years almost every employ­
ment office has reported that it has found itself unable to furnish
housemaids and general houseworkers in anything like the number
desired. Two rathe* unusual cases of inability of employment offices
to secure help of this sort may be cited. An employment office
in a large city of the Middle West was unable to fill any of the five
requests which it had on hand at one time, each for a maid who
would receive $8 a week, all her meals, and a room with a private
bath, for working for a family of two persons. In another city the
rate to be paid was stated as $10 a week in a family of three persons.
In none of these cases was the family laundry to be done by the
maid requested; yet the employment office could not fill any of the
requests for help.

P R E F E R E N C E S IN P L A C E M E N T S .
Whenever an employment office decides on a policy of referring
persons with certain qualifications to positions for which others are
equally well fitted there arises the question of a “ preference in place­
ment.” This term is used to refer to the choice which must be made
among applicants for work who are assumed to be of equal ability.
When superintendents of offices were asked concerning their decisions
of whom to send to specific jobs widely variant answers were made.
A large number replied that they observe no basis for preference on
account of their belief that no two people are equally qualified for
any given position. Against this opinion, however, is the attitude
of a large number of superintendents, some of whom state that
priority of application is the governing factor;- while others hold
that the need of the applicant determines which of two applicants
shall be sent to a particular position. It is probably true that
availability is the determinant in most cases. According to the city
ordinances governing certain offices, residents of the city are to be
given preference oyer nonresidents. In other offices married men
are preferred to single ones. One office reported that applicants
with recommendations and those studying in trades extension schools
were the first persons referred to positions. Another stated that the
applicant who lived nearest to the job was referred to it, assuming,
of course, an ability to do the work required.




STATE AND C ITY PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

37

It is believed, however, that although there are such various
answers to this question given by the superintendents, the diversity in
practice is not as great as is indicated. The idea of performing acts
of charity has disappeared from nearly all employment offices. In­
stead there is the definite conception of the rendering of a public
service. In some cities, in the matter of the placement of the poorer
grade of applicants there has been hearty cooperation between em­
ployment offices and charitable institutions. In addition to this
there has usually been cooperation between the Young Men’s Chris­
tian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, and the
Young Men’s Hebrew Association and the public employment offices
in places where the associations mentioned are actively engaged in
any sort of placement work.

E F F O R T S T O A S C E R T A IN M O R A L C O N D IT IO N S A T P L A C E S O F
EM PLOYM ENT.
It was difficult to get definite information as to just what em­
ployment offices do in the way of ascertaining what the moral con­
ditions are in and about places to which applicants for work are sent,
but generally the following principles seem to be observed:
First. That no girl or woman should be referred to any place of
known disrepute or suspected of being maintained for immoral pur­
poses, or where she would be likely to be subject to immoral influ­
ences.
Second. That no. office, however large its present force, is capable
of investigating thoroughly every request for female help, and that
the superintendent must use his or her best judgment to determine
what investigations should be made.
Third. That many offices refuse to refer young women to employ­
ment in places where no other women are employed.
Fourth. But few offices take cognizance of the morality or im­
morality of the surroundings of places of employment for boys.
The most complete system of inquiry along all of these lines is
found perhaps in the Cleveland (Ohio) State-city office. In this
office the placement clerks, both male and female, are required to
make a thorough study of the prevailing standards of living and of
morals in each of the various sections of the city. In the juvenile de­
partment care is taken to protect youths from being referred to work
in vicious and immoral neighborhoods. In the female departments
a special investigator is employed who is constantly assisted by vol­
unteer workers whose duty it is to examine into the nature of the
employment and the surroundings in which the employee would be
required to work. A special examination is made in all cases except
where the employment office has previously satisfied itself that the
moral and industrial conditions of the employment would not be




38

P U B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

detrimental to the welfare of the applicant who might be referred
thereto. One of the most interesting methods of studying conditions
concerned with the employment of women is in vogue in the Kansas
City (M o.) State-Federal labor exchange. There an investigation is
made not only of questionable calls for help but also of all the “ blind
ads ” appearing in the city’s newspapers. The newspapers cooperate
heartily with the women’s department of the employment office in
this matter o f the suppression of improper advertising.

P O L IC Y W IT H R E F E R E N C E T O IN D U S T R IA L D IS T U R B A N C E S .
The policy of employment offices varies as to sending applicant^
to positions affected by strike or lockout. Fifty-one offices state
that they inform applicants of the conditions and allow them to
decide for themselves whether or not they desire employment under
the circumstances; 40 refuse to send anyone to such positions; 1 re­
ports that it makes no inquiry into these matters and would refer an
applicant to such a position without any mention of the labor
trouble existing at the plant; and 4 offices state that the question
has never arisen and no policy has been adopted.
These differences in policy and practice in regard to strikes and
lockouts are the results of sharp differences of opinion as to what
the proper functions of a public employment office are. The major­
ity of the offices base their policy upon the theory that an employment
office supported by the public is under obligation to serve the public
impartially. Therefore whoever applies for work is entitled to
receive all available information pertaining to his needs. It is held
that the employer has a right to ask prospective employees as to their
race, religion, and attitude toward trade-unions, because these are
essential matters. The worker seeking a job, on the other hand, is
entitled to know the kind of place offered him, the conditions of
employment, and whether or not a trade dispute is in progress. It is
the business of the public employment office to furnish all pertinent
facts, leaving the applicant to decide whether he will accept or reject
the employment offered when he has all information in his possession.
A large number of offices, however, are governed by a different idea
of the proper policy to be followed. These offices hold that the exist­
ence of a strike or lockout does not indicate any labor shortage in theplant or locality affected. They accordingly ignore all applications
from employers whose plants are involved in strikes or lockouts, and
give out no information to job seekers about the jobs left vacant by
striking or locked-out employees.
One office holds to the theory that the function of a public employ­
ment office is merely to introduce the applicant for work to the em­
ployer who needs workers, and that, having done this, the responsi-




STATE A N D CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES*

39

bility of the office ceases. This office does an insignificant amount of
placement work, having filled only 441 positions during a recent 12
months.
The opponents of the majority practice say that giving out infor­
mation as to all vacancies, including those due to strikes or lockouts,
enables unscrupulous employers to use public employment offices as
strike-breaking agencies, which thus will become centers for recruit­
ing casual laborers and undesirable job seekers who are willing to
accept any wages or conditions for a short time, and by so doing
defeat the attempt of the regular employees to secure adequate wage?
and conditions.
In reply it is asserted that those who hold the view that positions
made vacant by strikes or lockouts do not constitute a demand for
labor are really prejudging the labor dispute in favor of the workers
without hearing the evidence. Strikes and lockouts may and do
frequently occur, it is alleged, because of unreasonable demands by
the workers as to wages, hours, conditions, and recognition of the
union. To refuse to employers, under such conditions, the services
of the public employment offices, which they are taxed to support,
would be gross injustice.
Whenever an employer reports the existence of a strike or lockout
at his mill, factory, or shop, some offices accept his statement without
investigation, while at other offices a thorough study is made to ascer­
tain the facts. If these are found to agree with what the employer
has said the order is accepted. Before an applicant is referred to
such a position,, however, he is informed in detail of all that the in­
vestigator has learned. This step is taken in order that he may be
fully aware of existing conditions. The applicant is then given an
introduction card across which is stamped in red, “ Strike on at this
place ” or “ Lockout at this place.”
Experience has taught a number of offices that sometimes a per­
son referred to a job at a place where a labor dispute is on, after
receiving such an introduction card as mentioned, will go to the
employer and tell him that he was sent by the public employment
office. He may subsequently return to the office and complain that
he was sent as a strike breaker against his will. Such incidents are
said to be so frequent as to be classed as usual. In order to reduce
such disagreeable experiences to a minimum and to have evidence
that the applicant was fully informed of the labor trouble at the
place of employment before he left the employment office, some
offices have adopted the plan of having the applicant sign a register
stating that he has been advised that a strike or lockout exists al
the place to which he is accepting an introduction card.




40

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

SEA SO N A L AND TEM PORARY PLA CEM EN TS.
No public employment office has as yet engaged in any very defi­
nite work toward a reduction of labor turnover in the community
which it serves. There have been a few more or less sporadic at­
tempts to lessen the hardship of winter unemployment by urging
city councils and others in authority to provide for street and road
improvements during winter months. But other than this nothing
has been very definitely attempted. Most of the cities which have
public employment offices, and many which have not, have from
time to time organized committees on unemployment whose primary
purpose has been to secure at least part-time work for as many em­
ployees as possible, favoring for this work those persons who would
otherwise be liable to become public charges or would suffer most
because of unemployment.
The employment offices at Milwaukee and Superior, Wis., in co­
operation with the industrial commission of that State, have made
some attempt to reduce unemployment due to certain seasonal ac­
tivities, such as ice harvesting, berry picking, summer farm work,
logging, and lumber cutting. A careful consideration of these very
different occupations reveals the fact that their seasonal character is
such that the same person, if capable, might be employed throughout
the year with scarcely any lay-off because of a lack of available work.
Similarly, the* commissioner of labor of Oklahoma called the at­
tention of the superintendents of public employment offices of that
State to the possibility of giving employment throughout the entire
year to persons engaged in seasonal work of very different sorts.
He urged that this possibility be brought to the attention of the
harvest hands, cotton pickers, and others who are in the habit, when
one job is over, of failing to try to secure other employment until the
next season for the same sort of work rolls around.
During the winter of 1914-15, the city of Richmond, Ya., author­
ized the expenditure of $120,000 for public works, streets, etc.—work
which had to be done, but which, because then done, lessened to a
considerable degree the extent of unemployment at that time. Grow­
ing out of a realization of the gravity of such a problem an ordinance
by the city council was approved December 18, 1914, “ to provide for
the establishment and maintenance of an employment office by the
aid of which unemployed persons may secure employment.”
The city of Hartford, Conn., during the winter of 1914 engaged
in a sort of work similar to that undertaken by Richmond, though
to a very much less extent. A brief statement of this work is as
follows:
An appropriation of $9,000 was voted by the city council to be expended in
making certain public improvements in the grading and laying out of parks,




STATE AND CITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

41

Mr. ------------------ 1 superintendent of parks, being authorized to disburse it. In
addition to this municipal appropriation, about $650 was donated by private
individuals to be used as a fund for lending money for short periods to needy
workmen. A small rate of interest was charged in order that there might be
no smack of charity. As this money was repaid it was lent again to others.
No security except the recipient’s good character was demanded, and prac­
tically all of this fund was eventually repaid.
Approximately 600 men were furnished employment during the winter. No
distinction was made between married and single men, but applicants were
required to have lived in the city for at least six months and to have been em­
ployed a reasonable period during that time.
This restriction was found necessary to prevent the influx of outsiders and
to eliminate undesirables. The mere statement of applfcants that they lived
in the city was accepted as prima facie evidence, but each case was quietly
investigated and in case of misrepresentation the man was discharged. Men
were engaged in two shifts, morning and afternoon, of four hours each, and
were paid at the regular municipal rate of 25 cents an hour, or $1 a day.
As a result of 40 years’ experience in conducting public works the superin­
tendent knew quite accurately how much men in each occupation should
normally do. Only 60 per cent of this normal amount was required of these
men. I f they were unable to do this amount of work they were dropped, the
superintendent holding that such cases were properly the concern of charitable
institutions.
Nothing was done merely to create employment. The work performed would
have had to be done on the parks and highways, even if no serious condition of
unemployment existed. The existence of this condition only hastened the work.
The superintendent stated that very little efficiency was lost and that there was
no loss to the city financially. His office acted as an employment bureau along
two lines. In the first place, gangs of men were furnished to various employers
for contract jobs, the rate of wages being the city rate of 25 cents an hour.
Since care was taken not to act as an agency to supply cheap labor, the labor
unions were willing to cooperate. In the second place, this office secured for
about 60 of the most efficient workers permanent employment with various
employers of Hartford.

FREQ U EN CY OF REPO RTS.
Until the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics began the regu­
lar publication in its Monthly Review of the “ Work of State and
municipal public employment offices ” there was a considerable varia­
tion in the frequency with which these bureaus were accustomed
to make reports. Now there is a rather general uniformity, for all
but 4 of the 96 offices make monthly reports.
Most of the offices which make monthly reports also prepare daily
or weekly statements. Those offices which keep daily records include
the State offices of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York,
Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the municipal offices of Chicago, Louis­
ville, St. Joseph, New York, Dallas, and Tacoma. Those offices ren­
dering weekly as well as monthly reports are the State offices of In­
diana (except Indianapolis), Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.




42

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

CONTENTS OF REPO RTS.
These reports contain statements of the number of applications
from employers, of persons applied for, of employers from whom ap­
plications were received, of persons applying for employment either
as new registrations or renewals, of offers of positions, of positions
offered, of persons referred to positions, and o f positions reported
filled. No report contains all these items, though several do have as
many as six. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has been
endeavoring, during the past year and a half, to bring about a closer
approach to uniformity of data reported, and while its efforts have
not been completely successful, nevertheless many of the offices have
shown a willingness to eonform to some practicable standard.
The following directions will enable the reader to understand more
clearly what is generally accepted as the information that should be
reported under each of the headings above mentioned:
(1) The number of applications from employers should be arrived
at by counting separately each application for help received at the
office which is not a repetition of a request already made, whether
or not from an employer who has applied before for help. Care
should be taken to note that the information desired is the number of
applications—not the number of employers, and not the number of
persons sought or positions vacant.
(2) The number of persons applied for should be the total number
of positions which employers ask the employment office to find ap­
plicants to fill.
(3) The number of employers from whom applications were re­
ceived should be the number of different individuals or firms who
apply for workers. The total number of employers for a year is ob­
tained by eliminating all duplications for the year; that is, although
an employer makes several requests for workers during the year, he is
counted only once. The purpose of this total is to measure the extent
to which different employers have been using the office.
(4) The number of persons applying for employment should be
arrived at by counting the separate applications of different persons
for the period desired,
(a) New registrations should include all persons who have not
registered for employment at the office within a given
definite period of time. Such a period of time should
be agreed upon by all public employment offices so that
uniformity may result.
(&) Renewals should represent second or subsequent applica­
tions for employment.




STATE AND C ITY PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

43

(5) The number of offers of, 'positions should be arrived at by
counting separately each “ reference to a position ” and totaling all
the references.
To illustrate: At the X Co. and the W Co. there is one vacancy
each. The employment office has been asked to find suitable em­
ployees. An applicant, A, is referred to the position at the X Co., but
does not get it. He is then referred to the position at the W Co., and
is employed. B is referred to the X Co., but is not chosen, while C,
who is referred to the X Co., is employed. In other words, the em­
ployment office has made four offers of positions (“ references to posi­
tions” ) to three persons to fill two positions.
An employment office itself, of course, does not offer any position.
The term “ reference to position,” when properly understood, is quite
as satisfactory, but in the minds of some people there is liable to be
considerable confusion if that expression is used, because “ reference
to position” is so often understood to mean a written recommenda­
tion presented to an employer by an applicant for work. The phrase
“ offers of positions ” is therefore used to signify the total number
of chances offered to applicants to secure employment.
(6) The number of positions offered differs from the number of
offers of positions, in that it is the number of actual positions to be
filled, regardless of the number of times they may have been offered
to different applicants. As shown in the illustration given above,
four “ offers of positions ” were made, while there were but two
u positions offered.”
’ (7) The number of persons referred to positions should include
all persons who have been referred to positions during the period
covered by the report.
(8) The number of positions reported filled should include only

positions for which definite information has been received that they
have been filled.
In the General Tables (pp. 73 to 100) are shown the work of public
employment offices. Because of a lack of a definite standard in many
cases, and entirely different viewpoints of the meaning of certain
terms used, comparison of data from different offices should be made
with caution. The chief difficulty, however, consists in the great
variation in the kinds of service rendered by different offices.
The placements of some offices are practically limited to laborers,
casual day workers, and other' unskilled workers, while the work of
other offices includes a large proportion of skilled workers in various
industries. The business of some offices, owing to their location, is
restricted very largely to placements in a single industry. For in­
stance, the placements in Youngstown, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa.>




44

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

are largely in iron and steel manufacturing establishments, while in
Detroit, Mich., they are largely in automobile factories. Likewise,
the offices located in the great agricultural centers are almost ex­
clusively devoted to placing farm laborers and wrorkers in domesticservice lines.
RELATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OFFICES.

No official relationship exists between public and private employ­
ment offices except that they often report to the same State officer.
It is true that there is one public employment office which is author­
ized to cooperate with private agencies by the terms of the municipal
ordinance creating it, but the idea which the ordinance intended to
convey was that permission was granted for cooperation with private
noncommercial offices rather than with agencies conducted for profit.
In the following-named States private and State public employ­
ment offices are under the control of the State labor commissioner
or other official, whatever his title, whose duties correspond to those
usually performed by a labor commissioner: California, Connecticut,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio.
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In Cleveland, Ohio, by the
terms of the city charter, the general superintendent of the public
employment office is ex officio city commissioner of employment, on
whom is placed responsibility for the inspection of private agencies.
State and municipal authorities share responsibility for the control
and licensing of private agencies in Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon.
In Virginia and Texas the labor commissioner is responsible for the
control of private agencies, but has no official connection with the
public offices. Fort Worth, Tex., however, partially regulates private
agencies through its common council.
Municipal authorities have charge of private employment bureaus
in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and
Rhode Island.
Two States have enacted legislation against private agencies—Idaho1 and Washington. The latter does not forbid the charging
of fees to employers, but it does legislate against private employment
offices which charge fees to applicants for work. A copy of the act
follows:
A

A ct to prohibit the collection o f fees for the securing o f employment or fur­
nishing inform ation leading thereto and fixing a penalty for violation thereof.

n

Be it enacted by the people o f the State o f W ashington:
1. The w elfare of the State o f Washington depends on the welfare
o f its workers and demands that they be protected from conditions that result
in their being liable to imposition and extortion.
The State o f Washington therefore exercising herein its police and sovereign
power declares that the system o f collecting fees from the workers for furnish­
S e c t io n




1 Chapter 169, Acts of Idaho Legislature for 1915.

STATE AND CITY PUBLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

45

ing them with employment, or with inform ation leading thereto, results fre­
quently in their becoming the victims o f imposition and extortion and is there­
fore detrimental to the welfare o f the State.
S e c . 2. It shall be unlawful for any employment agent, his representative,
or any other person to demand or receive either directly or indirectly from any
person seeking employment, or from any person on his or her behalf, any
remuneration or fee whatsoever for furnishing him or her with employment or
with inform ation leading thereto.
S e c . 3. F o r each an d e v e ry v io la tio n o f a n y o f th e p ro v is io n s o f th is a c t th e
p e n a lty s h a ll b e a fine or [ o f ] n o t m o re th a n on e h u n d re d d o lla rs a n d im p r is o n ­
m e n t fo r n o t m ore th a n th ir ty d a y s.

Passed by vote o f the people at the general election, November 3, 1914.
Proclamation signed by the governor, December 3, 1914.

Private agencies continued to operate after the signing of this law,
however, for in the same report in which the law is quoted there is
an enumeration of private agencies, many of them operating in vio­
lation of the law.1
The table which follows shows the number of private employment
agencies, according to the latest available figures, in each city in
which there is a public employment office and the office or officer hav­
ing supervision of them:
T

able

lO . — NUMBER AND SUPERVISION OF PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
IN CITIES HAVING PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
Private agencies.

|

State and city.
Number.

Supervised by—

California.

Berkeley......................................
Los Angeles................................
Oakland.......................................
Sacramento................................
San Francisco............................

1
51
13
15
54

State labor commissioner.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

5
25
4

State bureau of labor statistics and city.
DoDo.

8
11
11

State labor commissioner.
Do.
Do.

Colorado.

Colorado Springs......................
Denver............... : .......................
Pueblo..........................................

*
**

Connecticut.

Bridgeport..................................
Hartford......................................
New Haven................................
Norwich.......................................
Waterbury..................................

2

Do.

Idaho.

Boise C ity...................................
Illinois.

Chicago........................................
East St. Louis...........................
Peoria..................... ..
Rocfriord.....................................
Rock Jsland-Moline................
Springfield..................................

320

Director, department of labor.

1 See Tenth Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor, Statistics, and Factory Inspec­
tion, State of Washington, pp. 134-136.




PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N ITED STATES.

46
T a b le

1 0 .— N U M B E R A N D S U P E R V IS IO N O F P R I V A T E E M P L O Y M E N T A G E N C IE S
IN C I T IE S H A V IN G P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S — C on tin u ed .

Private agencies.
State and city.

Number.

Supervised by—

Indiana.

Evansville. . .
Fort W ayn e.
Indianapolis.
South B end..
Terre H aute.

Chief, bureau of statistics.
Do.
Do.
Do,

0)

Iowa.

State commissioner of labor statistic!.

Des MoinesKansas.

State labor commissioner.

Topeka........................... .
Kentucky.

President, city sinking fund*

Louisville...................... .
Massachusetts.

Boston........
Fall R iv e r ..
Springfield.
Worcester..

110
l
24
15

License board.
Mayor and aldermen.
Do.
Mayor.

Michigan.

Commissioner of labor*
Do.
Do.

Battle Creek.. .
B ay City............
Detroit...............
Flint...................
Grand Rapids..
Jackson ..............
Kalamazoo........
Lansing..............
Muskegon........ .
Saginaw........... .

Do.
Do.
Do*

Minnesota.

State labor commissioner and city coondL
Do.
Do.

D uluth..........
Minneapolis.
St. Paul........
Missouri.

Commissioner of labor statistics.
Do.
Do.

Kansas C ity .,
St. Joseph___
St. Louis........
Montana.

Mayor.

B utte.
Nebraska.

Deputy commissioner of labor.
Mayor.

Lincoln.
O m aha..
N ew Jersey.

Jersey City..
Newark____

City clerk.
City license inspector.

N ew York.

A lban y.......................
Buffalo........................
Greater New Y o rk .
Rochester..................
Syracuse.....................




5
26
700
7

6

City police department.
City license clerk.
City department of licenses.
City license clerk.
City commissioner of employment agencies.

i Not reported.

STATE AND C ITY PUBLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.
T a b le

47

1 0 .— N U M B E R A N D S U P E R V IS IO N O F P R IV A T E E M P L O Y M E N T A G E N C IE S
I N C I T I E S H A V I N G P U B L I C E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S — C oncluded.

Private agencies.
State and city.
Number.

Supervised by—

4
Ohio.

Akron............................................
Cincinnati....................................
Cleveland....................................

1
10
19

Columbus....................................
D ayton.........................................
Toledo..........................................
Youngstown..............................

2
2
4
1

State industrial commission.
Do.
State industrial commission and city commissioner of employ­
ment.
State industrial commission.
Do.
Do.
Do.

2
3
2

State commissioner of labor.
Do.
Do.

Oklahoma.

E n id..............................................
Muskogee....................................
Oklahoma City..........................
Tulsa.............................................
Oregon.

Portland......................................

16

City commissioner of public affairs.

1

Department of labor and industry.

Pennsylvania.

Altoona........................................
Harrisburg..................................
Johnstown..................................
Philadelphia.............................
Pittsburgh..................................

206
50

Do.
Do.

Rhode Island.

Providence..................................

8

Board of aldermen.

7
6

State bureau of labor statistics.
State bureau of labor statistics and city council.

Texas.

Dallas............................................
Fort W orth................................
Virginia.

R ichm ond...................................

Commissioner of labor statistics.

0)

Washington . 2

Bellingham.................................
E verett........................................
Seattle..........................................
Spokane.....................................
Tacoma........................................
Wisconsin.

L a Crosse.....................................
Milwaukee..................................
Oshkosh.......................................
Superior............................... .......

11
2

State industrial commission.
Do.

1 Not reported.
2 A t the time these data were collected this State had a law (since declared unconstitutional) which
prohibited employment agencies charging fees t o employees. There were at that time some private concerns
acting in a quasi employment agency capacity.




48

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E UN ITED STATES,

FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
L E G IS L A T IV E E N A C T M E N T S .

Federal employment work was begun in 1907, chiefly in New York,
at the Ellis Island Immigration Station, under authority conferred
upon the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (now two sepa­
rate bureaus) by the terms of the immigration act of February 20,
1907, which created and defined the duties of a Division of Informa­
tion. There seems to have been no contemplation by Congress that
a national employment service was thereby to ber established.
The pertinent paragraph reads as follows:
It shall be the duty o f said division to promote a beneficial distribution o f
aliens admitted into the United States among the several States and Terri­
tories desiring immigration. Correspondence shall be had with the proper
officials o f the States and Territories, and said division shall gather from all
available sources useful inform ation regarding the resources, products, and
physical characteristics o f each State and Territory, and shall publish such
information in different languages and distribute the publications among all
admitted aliens who may ask for such inform ation at the immigrant stations
o f the United States and to such other persons as may desire the same.

Realizing that certain changes in the work of the Division of In­
formation were desirable, a conference of representatives of labor was
held in the office of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, February
10 and 11,1909, at which plans were discussed for enlarging the scope
of the placement work. But no definite results followed. In fact, it
was four years later before any further progress was made. The ad­
vanced step consisted in the passage of an act creating the Depart­
ment of Labor, whose purpose shall be “ to foster, promote, and de­
velop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to im­
prove their working conditions and to advance their opportunities
for profitable employment.” This last phrase, “ to advance their
opportunities for profitable employment,” immediately became the
legislative authority for what has now become a Federal employment
system.
The immigration act of February 5, 1917, contains no essential
change from the act of February 20,1907, so far as employment work
is concerned, for in neither is any direct reference made thereto.
When the European War broke out in August, 1914, there resulted a
tremendous decrease in immigration to the United States. Moreover,
there was at that time an unusually large amount of unemployment
in the United States. Cognizant of these conditions the Commissioner
General of Immigration decided to utilize the Immigration Service
to secure “ for aliens and other persons ” such information as it was
possible to obtain concerning actual jobs which they could fill. The
work contemplated by him was a nation-wide information system
concerning employment opportunities. Plans to put such a system




49

FEDERAL E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

into effect were soon consummated. These consisted primarily of two
parts, the first that the Departments of Labor and Agriculture and
the Post Office Department would cooperate in the promotion of this
new service, and the second that Continental United States should
be divided into employment zones.
TH E ZO N E SYSTEM .

There were originally 16 of these zones. Variations in their bound­
aries and in their number have constantly occurred. In charge of the
headquarters of each zone there was originally an immigration in­
spector. Now the chief officer of many zones is styled superintendent
of employment.
On May 1,1917, a change in the zones was begun which, when com­
pleted, will mean that every State will be a separate zone and that
some States will have more than one district. But neither a State’s
size nor its employment needs determines whether there shall be one
or more districts in a State, or the number of branch offices. For
example, Missouri comprises two districts, and Pennsylvania one.
Texas has three districts and nine branch offices, while New York
State has a single branch office at Buffalo. Washington State has
more branches (13 in all) than there are main headquarters in .all
of the States along the Atlantic Ocean; while California, with two
districts, has more employment branch offices than there are Federal
employment headquarters in all the States drained by the Mississippi
River.
The following list shows the organization in effect on July 31,1917,
including zones, headquarters, and subbranches, w'here such exist:
T a b le

11.—Z O N E S ,

H EA D Q U A RTERS, AN D SU BBRANCHES
P L O Y M E N T S E R V IC E .

.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...................

N ew B ed ford.

..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __ . . .
. ...............

N ew Y o r k ...................................

P en nsylvania
D elaw are

.........................
..............................................

P h ila d e lp h ia ..............................
W ilm in g ton ................................

M aryland
D istrict of Colum bia

..............
. .....
. .

Buffalo.
Jersey C ity.
Orange.
Pittsburgh*

B a ltim ore....................................
W a sh in gton ................................

...............

South Carolina
. ................................
G eorgia
. .
. ...........
F lorid a
.
. . . . . . . . . . . __
A la b a m a ......................................................................

44291°— Bull. 241— 18-------4




Subbranches.

P rov id en ce..................................

N ew Y o rk
N ew Jersey

V irginia

S T A T E S EM ­

P o rtla n d ......................................

.

Massachusetts
R h od e Island

U N IT E D

H eadquarters.

Zon e.
Maine

OF

C h arleston ..................................
S avannah....................................
Jacksonville................................

M iami.

50

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

T a b le

1 1 . — Z O N E S , H E A D Q U A R T E R S , A N D S U B B R A N C H E S O F U N IT E D
E M P L O Y M E N T S E R V IC E — C oncluded.

Z on e.

H eadquarters.

Subbranches.

M is s iss ip p i.,.............................................................. G u lfp o rt......................................
L ou isian a.................................................................... N ew O rleans..............................
Tennessee............................ « ..................................... M em phis......................................
Arkansas...................................................................... L ittle R o c k ................................
T exas:
Southern d is trict..............................................

G alveston ...... .............................

W estern d istrict...............................................

E l P ^ so........................................

N orthern d istrict..............................................

Fort W o r th ................................

N ew M exico...............................................................

Sante F e ......................................

O h io ...................... ..................................... .................
Kentucky...................................................................

Cleveland....................................

Indiana............................................ ...........................
Illinois.................... .....................................................

Indianapolis...............................
Chicago........................................
Detroit.........................................
Madison.......................................

Minnesota................................................................... Minneapolis................................
N orth D a k ota ............................................................
South D a k ota .......... ............. ............................ ..
Iowa..............................................................................
Missouri:
Eastern district................................................ St. Louis......................................
Western district.............................................. Kansas City................................
N eb ra sk a ..................................................................... O m aha..........................................

B ig Spring.
B row n sville.
Laredo.
E agle Pass.
San A n to n io .
D el R io .
San A n gelo.
A m arillo.
H ouston.
A lb u q u erq u o.
T u cu m ea ri.
D em ing.

Sault Ste. Marfa.

Lincoln.

Kansas...................................................................
O kla h om a.............................................................

Colorado................................................................ D e n v e r.........................................
Utah....................................................................... Salt Lake City........................
Wyoming.................... .........................................
Montana............................................................... H elen a..........................................
Idaho................ .......................................................... Moscow........................................
Washington........................................................

Seattle..........................................

Spokane.
W alla WaHa.

Tacoma.
A b erd een .

Everett.
Bellingham.
N orth Yakima.

Friday Harbor.
Nooksack.
Lynden.

Portland......................................

Oregon.........................................................................
California:
N orthern d istrict..............................................

San Francisco............................

Southern district..............................................

Los A n geles................................

Custer.
Port Townsend.
Port Angeles.
Astoria.
Saeramento.
Fresno.
Eureka.
Monterey.
San Diego.
Santa Ana.
Santa Barbara.
San Luis Obispo.
Bakersfield.

San Bernardino.
Calexico.
Indio.
N e v a d a ........................................................................
Arizona........................................................................




Phoenix.......................................

STATES

Tucson.
D ouglas.
Naco.
N ogales.
Phoenix.

Yuma.

FEBEBAL E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES,

51

S E R V IC E S R E N D E R E D .

The foregoing statements concerning the organization of the zone
system does not reflect discredit on those in charge. The nominal
existence of offices where employment aid is obtainable free of charge
to the public is indicative of the development which the immigra­
tion officials favor and would carry into practice if the funds were
available and authority granted. Then every immigration station
would be a link in a system of labor exchanges similar to that of
Great Britain. The services would then be truly national instead of
being limited chiefly to agricultural and domestic placements.
At present the emphasis in the rendering of service seems to lie
in the securing of cooperative arrangements with State officials, in
newspaper publicity of what is being attempted, and in affiliation of
women’s clubs with the Federal Employment Service. The diffi­
culties under which the employment activities are conducted seri­
ously affect their efficiency. For example, first, the public has not
yet realized that the work of the Division of Information is not
limited to aliens. From the fact that the placement work is done
by officials of the Immigration Bureau and all references to it are
mentioned in connection with the activities of that bureau, the
public naturally is liable to get the impression that the work is con­
ducted in the interest of aliens. Second, most of the headquarters
and subbranches are in charge of persons who have had little or no
experience of any sort in placement work. They are regular immi­
gration inspectors attending to work of this sort when free from
their other duties, or, if full time employees, they have been detailed
temporarily for this service. Third, it is felt throughout the Immi­
gration Service itself that employment work is merely incidental
and that with the return of immigration such as this country had
before the War, the employees now on the work of the Division of In­
formation will be reassigned to regular immigration work.
In view of these difficulties, whatever advance has been made
during the past few years is all the more remarkable. Cooperation
between the Division of Information and the Post Office Department
has been real. All postmasters are supplied with application forms
which, when filled out by either an employer seeking help or a person
seeking work, may be mailed free of charge to any immigration sta­
tion. Likewise, the Department of Agriculture, through its county
field agents, is rendering valuable assistance in the distribution of
information concerning work conditions m.d farmers’ needs to various
Federal employment bureaus.
In Table 12 statistics are shown concerning the work done by the
Federal Employment Service since its inception to November, 1917.




52

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

It is impracticable to explain definitely the meaning of each set of
figures, since instructions have been changed many times in those
years as to the manner of reporting and as to what should be re­
ported. The chief significance that should be attached to these fig­
ures is that the trend has been toward a very decided expansion of
business, which means the rendering of greater public service.
T a b le

1 2 .— O PER ATIO NS OF T H E D IV ISIO N OF IN FO R M A TIO N ,
IM M IG R A TIO N , M AY, 1915, TO N O VEM BER , 1917.

Year and month.

BU R EAU

OF

Number of Number of
Number of Number re­ Number
applica­
ap­ applicants ferred to
actually
tions for persons
employ­
plied for.
for place.
employed.
help.
ment.

1915.
3,826
3,601
8,665
7,931
4,551
5,423
4,650
3,588

12,132
14,530
18,061
17,827
13,334
12,215
11,908
11,902

3,752
5,131
6,360
7,321
5,671
5,460
4,459
2,622

3,495
4,646
6,035
6,757
5,405
5,006
4,146
2,170

8,176

42,235

111,909

40,776

37,660

J an u ary..............................
F eb ru a ry............................
M arch .............. ...................
A p r il....................................
M a y......................................
Jun e......................................
J u ly ......................................
A u g u s t................................
Septem ber..........................
O cto b e r...............................
N o v e m b e r 1........................
D e ce m b e r...........................

933
1,423
3,443
3,805
4,918
4,826
5,488
6,420
8,312
10,552
12,515
9,784

5,063
6,413
10,209
12,104
21,326
17,402
23,657
26,791
27,185
27,985
25,995
21,533

15,015
14,257
19,484
13,498
17,614
18,824
24,058
23,720
26,276
28,504
27,318
26,805

4,300
5,036
8,113
•8,843
12,938
13,839
17,608
18,062
19,643
21,789
24,618
21,139

3,419
4,185
7,030
7,653
11,453
11,960
16,309
16,313
17,169
19,044
18,822
16,597

T o ta l........................

72,419

225,663

255,373

13,687
12,473
21,367
22,664
22,004
20,449
19,710
22,742
24,842
25,890
18,454

27,466
28,482
36,950
42,074
46,125
51,718
64,408
81,350
84,226
83,920
69,658

32,951
29,701
33,933
39,247
48,099
43,145
50,866
65,000
57.031
69.031
61,475

26,382
23,£37
35,452
37,451
41,301
40,078
46,239
57,247
56,552
62,104
47,499

19,733
18,367
27,271
28,745
32,061
32,530
38,113
46,859
46,586
51,093
39,563

225,282

616,377

530,479

473,842

380,921

M a y............ ........................
Jun e......................................
J u ly ......................................
A u g u s t................................
S eptem ber..........................
O cto b e r...............................
N ov em b er..........................
D e ce m b e r...........................
T o ta l........................

638
1,249
1,160
1,279

1,201
1,104
847

1916.

175,9

149,954

1917.
Jan u ary..............................
F eb ru ary............................
M arch ..................................
A p r il....................................
M a y .................. . .................
Jun e.....................................
J u ly 2....................................
A u g u s t2..............................
Septem ber..........................
O cto b e r ...............................
N ov em b er..........................
T ota l (11 m o n th s ).

1Inclusive of activities in cooperation with State and municipal employment offices in the State of New
York.
2Data incomplete.

OTHER PUBLIC AND SEMIPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
OFFICES.

In this part of this report there is included brief mention of six
other types of public semipublic employment offices found in the
United States. These types may be summarized as follows:
First, public offices primarily engaged in other work but also par­
taking of the nature of employment offices;
Second, employment offices privately operated for the benefit of the
general public but under no form of governmental control;




OTH ER PU BLIC AND SEM IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

53

Third, State university employment agencies;
Fourth, chambers of commerce employment offices;
Fifth, noncommercial agencies reporting to and supervised by some
public employment office; and
Sixth, vocational guidance bureaus.
No attempt is here made to describe in detail all the offices of any
of the types mentioned but simply to present a description of the
scope of the work attempted by agencies of the groups enumerated
^above. The offices which are discussed are merely illustrative of
others which engage in similar work. Citation is made to particular
offices, not because of any known superiority but because the Bureau
of Labor Statistics has definite data concerning them.
O F F IC E S E N G A G E D P R IM A R IL Y IN O T H E R W O R K .

There appears on pages 58 to 63, inclusive, of the Monthly Review
of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for January, 1917,
a resume of the work performed by South Carolina’s bureau of
marketing, in the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Indus­
tries, whose headquarters are at Columbia, S. C. To this the reader
is referred for a more detailed account of the work done there. In
connection with its employment activities the chief interest lies in
the fact that while not primarily engaged in the work of a labor
agency the bureau has nevertheless actually become one. It accepts
requests for help and for employment, tries to render the maximum of
satisfaction to both employers and persons seeking employment, and
encourages the organization of boys’ and girls’ canning clubs and all
similar enterprises.
The work begun by South Carolina has been copied in large
measure and expanded by Idaho, which for over two years has had
a separate department of farm markets with a director in charge.
That official has referred in his second annual report, page 21, to
the work of an employment office for farm help already created.
There seems to be quite hearty cooperation betwTeen the various
farmers’ associations and the department of farm markets, according
to the report above referred to, which also mentions a State-wide
farmers’ conference at Boise in February, 1916, and another planned
for February, 1917. The direct references to employment w7ork
follow:
The division of the farm markets law, providing for a free employment
bureau for farm help in the State, has been kept in active operation and has
rendered a valuable service, bringing together approximately 1,000 men and
jobs throughout the State, including in numerous instances the bringing in of
new settlers from distant States. This feature of the department’s work needs
to be encouraged through more help in the office and more adequate funds for
promoting “the use of the employment service.




54

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N IT E D STATES.

The employment work, however, can never serve the farmers of north Idaho
as they are entitled to be served until funds are provided for the placing of a
deputy permanently in north Idaho to handle not only the employment matters
in the north but also the detail work in the various marketing problems peculiar
to that section.

South Dakota has commenced to give its attention to similar work.
No definite organization similar to that found in South Carolina
or Idaho has yet been consummated, but such a step, it is under­
stood, is soon to be taken.
O F F IC E S P R IV A T E L Y O P E R A T E D F O R T H E G E N E R A L P U B L IC B U T
N O T UN D ER GOVERN M EN TAL CONTROL.

Early in 1915 the Emergency Employment Association for Women
was opened in Atlanta, Ga. After two months’ successful employ­
ment work by it had demonstrated the need for a public employment
bureau in Atlanta, the clearing house for employment was established
on May 1, 1915. The funds for the maintenance of this office came
from a private source. The business of the office was conducted by
the manager under the direction of a board of directors consisting
of five prominent Atlanta women.
The clearing house was a placement and not a relief office. It was in
no sense a charitable organization, as an applicant referred to a posi­
tion was sent because of his qualifications and his fitness to fill the
position. The office was opened regularly for the transaction of
business from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m., Monday to Friday, inclusive, and
from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. on Saturdays throughout the year. The
forms used were quite similar to those used by other public employ­
ment offices which have been organized on a business basis. No fee
was charged either to employer or employee.
Employers’ orders were received by letter, by telephone, or in
the office by personal inquiry. The order cards called for detailed
information in regard to the position open and the kind of worker
wanted.
An application for employment was accepted only from residents
of Atlanta. Applicants were requested to apply personally at the
clearing house, fill out an application blank and sign it. Every
applicant was personally interviewed, and so far as possible placed
in his regular vocation. A renewal was made each month until the
applicant was employed.
An introduction card was given to each applicant sent to a posi­
tion. This was filled out by the employer and mailed to the clearing
house, showing whether or not the applicant was employed. A large
majority of placements were permanent, a fact due largely to the
attempt to place men in positions similar to those for whieh they were
by experience qualified.




O TH ER PU B LIC AND SEM IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

55

On account of the growth of business it became necessary on Oc­
tober 25, 1915, to employ an office' assistant. A letter from the man­
ager dated April 15, 1916, reads in part as follows: “ We are enlarg­
ing our bureau and working to a definite object. Our next depart­
ment, to be opened within several months, is a vocational guidance
bureau, with a trained vocational council in charge. At that time
we will add five men to our board of directors, all of whom will be
active in the work.” A vocational guidance department was opened
about August 1, 1916, to work in close cooperation with the schools
and colleges of Atlanta.
The following table is a summary of the work done by this agency
from its establishment to April 30, 1916:
T a b l e 13 .— P E R S O N S A P P L Y I N G F O R P O S I T I O N S , P O S I T I O N S O F F E R E D , A N D
P O S I T I O N S F I L L E D IN T H E A T L A N T A C L E A R IN G H O U S E F O R E M P L O Y M E N T
IN O NE Y E A R , B Y M O N T H S .

Number of persons applying for
positions.
Month.
Male.

Female. ^

Positions
offered.

Total.

Persons
referred
to
positions.

Positions
filled.

4
1915.
M ay...................................................
June..................................................
July...................................................
August..............................................
September......................................
October............................................
November...................................
December........................................

20
14
48
88
125
100
93
75

68
80
57
66
93
68
64
52

88
94
105
154
218
168
157
127

62
50
38
76
97
94
95
120

77
102
118
139
126
152
112
123

51
68
67
71
108
122
161
177

1916.
January............................................
•February.........................................
March................................................
April..................................................

152
144
124
196

116
08
90
111

268
242
214
307

173
92
112
115

255
175
125
205

149
61
79
104

Total.....................................

1,179

2,142

M ,469

1,709

1,218

963 I

1 Including 345 positions not reported under any specific month.

The General Assembly of Georgia in 1917 passed a law authorizing
the establishment of State free emplQyment bureaus, to be under the
direction of the commissioner of labor. As the establishment of such
a bureau at Atlantal was contemplated, the clearing house for em­
ployment, above described, was discontinued, and its records and
equipment were turned over to the department of commerce and
labor.
S T A T E U N IV E R S IT Y A G E N C IE S .

Many colleges and universities have recognized the desirability of
establishing a center where the employment needs of their students
might be ascertained and some plans taken to meet them. With
this in mind the first step taken as a means toward the handling of




56

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

this problem was to make the secretary of the college (or university)
Young Men’s Christian Association responsible for securing work
for students seeking it. Such a disposition of this matter is neces­
sarily inadequate since a university Young Men’s Christian Associa­
tion secretary usually has so many other matters with which to deal
that he can give but little, if any, of his time to employment activi­
ties.
A step toward a solution of the problem has been taken by the
University of Nebraska, whose regents have appointed an agent of
student activities to devote a part of his time to employment work
for male students. The University of Wisconsin has gone still
further in looking after the employment needs of its students, by
placing the work to be done on a more nearly business basis. A
filing case, application blanks for help and employment, and a more
liberal appropriation for the work necessary to be done are indica­
tive of the advance referred to. The best of the State university
employment offices studied is found at Minneapolis, Minn. The ad­
vance made by the University of Minnesota beyond the work of the
University of Wisconsin is in the provision for the salary of a
manager of the employment office, the greater stenographic and
clerical assistance allowed him, and the publication by the university
of pamphlets concerning its employment work.
The table following shows the amount of work accomplished by
this office in one year:
T a b l e 1 4 . — N U M B E R O F P O S I T I O N S F I L L E D B Y T H E E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E O F
T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I N N E S O T A IN O N E Y E A R A N D A M O U N T E A R N E D
B Y S T U D E N T S IN T H O S E P O S I T I O N S , B Y O C C U P A T IO N S .

Occupation.

Permanent positions:1
W a it e r s ............................ ...........................................................
Janitors and furnace m en.................................................................................... ...........
Clerical and office help. 1 . . . ........................ . . . 9...........................................................
Stenographers......................................................................................................................
Clerks, store.......................................................................................................... ..
Salesmen and solicitors.....................................................................................................
Teachers.................. ..............................................................................................................
Chauffeurs.............................................................................................................................
Expressmen..........................................................................................................................
Other positions....................................................................................................................

Number of
positions.

132
28
29
15
26
5

Am ount
earned.

3
9
13

2 $12,090.00
2.718.00
4.616.00
2,061.00
2,160.00
262.00
496.00
141.00
840.00
842.00

5

Total .................................................................................................................................

265

26,226.00

Temporary positions:
Odd jobs................................................................................................................................
Musicians..............................................................................................................................
Typists...................................................................................................................................
Clerical and office help.....................................................................................................
Draftsmen.............................................................................................................................
Tutors......................................................................................................................... ..
Mechanics.............................................................................. ...............................................
Other positions....................................................................................................................

356
324
72
34
18
9
5
50

462.30
972.00
504.00
316.00
140.50
84.00
102.00
1,076.75

Total....................................................................................................................................

868

3,657.55




57

O TH ER PU B LIC AND SEM IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

T a b l e 1 4 . — N U M B E R O F P O S I T I O N S F I L L E D B Y T H E E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E O F
T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I N N E S O T A IN O N E Y E A R A N D A M O U N T E A R N E D
B Y S T U D E N T S IN T H O S E P O S I T I O N S , B Y O C C U P A T IO N S — Concluded.

Occupation.

Summer work:
Salesmen and solicitors___________________ ___________________________________
Clerical and office heln
Scientific work.....................................................................................................................
Stenographers.......................•..............................................................................................
Laborers................................................................................................................................
Managers....................... '.......................................................................................................
Draftsmen.............................................................................................................................
Other nositions...................................................................................................................

Number of
positions.

Amount
earned.

52
10
4
4
61
5
5
79

13,715.00
1,261.00
430.00
530.00
1,771.00
920.00
622. 44
290.35

Total...................................

220

19,539. 79

Grand total............ .........

1,353

49,423.34

1 For continuous period of time during the college year.
2 Value of board allowed students for acting as waiters, estimated at $4 per week.

O F F IC E S M A IN T A IN E D B Y C H A M B E R S O F CO M M ER CE.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no definite information as to
the number of employment offices maintained by chambers of com­
merce. It is receiving constantly through news press-clipping bu­
reaus accounts of the creation of new employment agencies conducted
by these commercial organizations on behalf of manufacturers
throughout the more important cities of the country.

In order to show, therefore, the nature of the work done and the
kind of offices maintained, reference is made to the Madison (Wis.)
and Dubois (Pa.) chamber of commerce employment agencies. Early
in 1916 the chamber of commerce of Madison, Wis., decided to estab­
lish an employment office. It secured a manager and an assistant,
obtained from the Industrial Commission of Wisconsin a supply of
forms used by the State agencies, and agreed to report to that com­
mission information similar to that furnished by the regularly estab­
lished State offices. The office itself is well located in the Chamber
of Commerce Building on the first floor in a room of ample size,
which is bright and attractive. It is open regularly for the trans­
action of business throughout the forenoon of each day and for one
or two hours each afternoon from Mcnday to Friday, inclusive.
In Pennsylvania the State director of employment has used his
good offices and influence to urge the establishment of employment
bureaus by local chambers of commerce.
Particular reference is made to the work done by the Dubois bu­
reau because the superintendent of that agency has submitted to the
director of employment of the State of Pennsylvania a report of the
number of applications for help and employment received and filled,
the number of persons referred to employment, and other data similar




58

PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

to that obtained from the regularly established State employment
offices.
In some cities these offices are conducted solely for the benefit of
the members of the chamber of commerce with little regard for the
needs of the individual applicants for employment. This, however,
is not generally true, and more and more offices are taking a broader
view of the employment problem. Reference should be made here to
the very commendable action taken by the Minneapolis Commercial
and Civic Association at an employment managers’ conference in
January, 1916. A plan was presented for the establishment of an
employment office to be wTell financed by the manufacturers of Min­
neapolis and St. Paul. At that time the Minnesota Department of
State was planning to establish some sort of cooperative scheme with
the Bureau of Immigration in the administration of public employ­
ment offices in that State. The Commercial and Civic Association be­
lieved that there should not be established a private enterprise of the
sort contemplated, ii in reality it would cause a duplication of em­
ployment activities in the two cities. At least until the State’s plans
were definitely worked out, it was held, such action ought not to be
taken.
N O N C O M M E R C IA L A G E N C IE S S U P E R V IS E D B Y SO M E P U B L IC
E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E .

There has been a rather general realization on the part of the
managers or superintendents of some of the employment offices in
the largest American cities that there is a great need of centralization
of information concerning opportunities for work and the availability
of labor. With this idea in mind they have sought in a large num­
ber of cases to secure not only nominal but actual cooperation on
the part of these agencies. The most extensive studies along these
lines have been made by a committee of persons interested in employ­
ment matters, the chairman of which is the superintendent of the
New York City municipal bureau. This committee sought to ascer­
tain the number of agencies which would be willing to cooperate with
the public employment office, the type of records that they keep, the
classes of employees and employers with whom they deal, and other
information valuable to placement work. It was very largely suc­
cessful in obtaining the data it desired, reports being furnished from
time to time to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Brooklyn State office has likewise engaged in similar co­
operative attempts with success. Brief descriptions of certain of
these agencies are given below.
The New York City employment bureau has opened branches or
taken over existing semipublic employment offices in four different




O TH ER PU B LIC AN D SE M IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

59

sections of the city. All of them are in connection with some chari­
table or philanthropic organization, which bears the greater part
of the expense. One was operating as an employment office prior to
the establishment of the city bureau. The other three began their
activities as employment offices after the establishment of the city
bureau, and from the start were run as a part of that bureau. Since
these semipublic offices had the same end in view as the city bureau they
agreed they might better be associated with the latter and so avoid
a duplication of work. The office now called the Yorkvilie Branch
was taken over July 19, 1915. It is located in the settlement house
conducted by an organization known as the East Side House, at 540
East Seventy-sixth Street. It furnished the “ plant ” complete and
also the workers. The city pays for the telephone service, postage,
the forms used, and supervision. There are two women who do the
work of the office. They handle female help almost exclusively, most
of which is for domestic work. Any orders they receive for male
help, or for female help of a kind which they can not supply, are
forwarded to the main office of the bureau.
The second branch of this office, called the Greenpoint Branch,
was opened on September 13, 1915, at 85 Java Street, Brooklyn. It
is operated in conjunction with the Greenpoint Neighborhood House
and is in its building. There is no expense to the city for the plant,
but the telephone, postage, forms, and a man to run it are furnished
by the city. The man in charge is a clerk transferred from the main
office. He is paid by the city, and has no regular assistants. All
classes of help are handled here.
The third or Chelsea branch was established January 1, 1916.
This is an old employment office that had been run for some time by
the Hudson Guild. It was simply taken over by the city with prac­
tically no change in its conduct and with little expense to the city.
It is located at 436 West Twenty-seventh Street in the Hudson
Guild House. It has two regularly employed female clerks, one paid
by the Hudson Guild, the other paid by the city. In addition to
these there are several volunteer workers who come in from time to
time and assist in the work. This branch places principally female
day workers, and to a less extent housemaids and other domestics,
but no male help at all. The city furnishes the supervision, the
services of a clerk, the forms, and the postage. The telephone is
paid for by the Hudson Guild.
The fourth and last branch was established on March 1, 1916, at
12 West Eleventh Street. It is known as the Greenwich Branch.
Practically all the expense of running this branch is borne by the
Church of the Ascension. The church furnishes the services of a
woman wwker and the entire equipment except the forms and post­




60

PU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

age. This branch handles all classes of help, but principally female
domestic workers.
All the forms used by the city bureaus are used by these branches,
and they keep the same records. Reports are made weekly to the
central office.
It is not intended that the preceding statement of the work done
in Greater New York should be understood to include all of the
cooperation between noncommercial agencies and public employment
offices. Likewise it should not be understood that in other cities
there is lacking the same form and spirit of cooperation. Indeed,
the plan worked out by the former acting superintendent of the
Philadelphia State Employment Bureau is worthy of more than
passing notice. He secured an agreement on the part of the follow­
ing-named officers to report to his office the statistics concerning
applications for help and employment, the number of persons re­
ferred to positions, and the positions filled: Two Young Women’s
Christian Association bureaus; the Personal Service Bureau, dealing
only with women; the Municipal Court Bureau, dealing with men
and women; the Juvenile Workers’ Bureau, dealing with boys and
girls; the Episcopal Placement Bureau, dealing with men and
women; the Armstrong Association for Negro Help; the German’s
Society Bureau for men and women; and the Vocational Guidance
Bureau of the Board of Compulsory Education for work with boys
and girls.
Along similar lines other cities have engaged more or less in the
same forms of cooperation.
V O C A T IO N A L G U ID A N C E B U R E A U S .
CHICAGO V O CATIO N AL GUIDANCE B U R E AU .

In Chicago, in the spring of 1911, there was established under the
auspices of the board of education a vocational guidance bureau,
at the head of which was a trained worker in civic and social work.
Since March, 1913, the bureau has been located in the Jones School
at the corner of Harrison Street and Plymouth Court.
A brief history of the a joint committee for vocational super­
vision ” of placement work in connection with children is given in
an undated pamphlet published by the bureau. A part of what is
there found reads as follows:
The Bureau of Vocational Supervision was established in 1911 by the joint
committee organized by the Chicago Woman’s Club, the Woman’s City Club,
and the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. The committee grew rapidly, and
at the end of the year numbered more than 200 individual members and dele­
gates from 20 clubs. At present the membership consists of 239 members and
representatives from 31 clubs.




O TH ER PU B LIC AN D SEM IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

61

In November, 1913, the executive board was enlarged to include the voca­
tional committee o f the City Club, the Chicago Association o f Commerce, the
Chicago W om an’s Aid, and representatives o f industry.
In 1911-12 up to May 15 there was but one full-time worker employed by
the committee. At the latter date another worker was added. During 1913-14
the staff has numbered four full-time workers assisted by volunteers. The
salaries of two workers have been paid by the joint com m ittee; the third by
the Chicago W om an’s Aid, and the fourth by the Chicago Association o f
Commerce.
In March, 1913, after two years o f experimental work, the board of education
took over the bureau to the extent of supplying an office in the Jones School,
with clerical assistance and telephone service. Until the board of education
grants an appropriation for a vocational bureau, however, the responsibilities
for the salaries of two o f the workers is placed upon the joint committee.

On February 2, 1916, the board of education adopted a recom­
mendation made by its committee on school management that it con­
duct a bureau of vocational guidance under the jurisdiction of the
superintendent of schools, provided with a supervisor and such
assistants as may be deemed necessary.
The present personnel of the bureau consists of a director, three
vocational advisers, and one stenographer. The stenographer is
appointed through competitive civil-service examination; the other
persons, without civil-service examination, have appointments of
indefinite tenure from the board of education. The total amount
available for the use of this bureau is approximately $7,000 per
annum, exclusive of certain private contributions.
On Saturdays the office closes at noon, while on other weekdays
it is open from 8.30 a. m. to 5 p. m.
When an application for help is received which is found to offer
no possibility of advancement for the boy or girl who might be sent
to fill it, or if the opportunity for employment is not the kind of
work or trade that will help the child’s chance for a future, the
application is referred to the juvenile department of the Illinois
Free Employment Bureau. There is no sort of cooperation between
this office and any commercial bureau.
More children learn of this bureau as a result of being directed
to it by their school-teachers than in any other way. One function
of the bureau is to make a careful study of the various industries in
which children between the ages of 14 and 16 might be employed
in order to ascertain the conditions of employment therein, the rates
of wages paid, the hours of labor, and the prospects for promotion.
Such investigations are made by personal visits of the vocational
assistants and special students in the various schools of civics and
philanthropy located in Chicago. Those employers who conduct
their business so that children employed by them have chances for
worth-while development are asked to cooperate with the bureau.




62

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

The practice pursued in referring applicants to positions is to send
that child best fitted for the particular work, preference being given
to the child whose family’s need is greatest, other considerations
being equal. There is a very complete system of inquiry as to the
place of employment and the character of work to be performed be­
fore anyone is sent. All of the matters noted on the employer’s
application are subjects of inquiry. The bureau does not send any
child to a place where a strike or lockout is in progress.
On the reverse side of the introduction card given the child is
found the following statement:
To the em ployer:
I f you decide to employ the bearer, we ask as a favor that you w ill not dis­
charge him without notifying the bureau in advance, thus giving us a chance
to remedy the difficulty or to find another position for him.
W e ask those whom we place not to leave a position without notifying the
bureau.
Our object is to place permanently and well those boys and girls who are
leaving school, and we ask your hearty cooperation.
Very truly, yours,

Verification of the securing of the position is made later by tele­
phone call, or occasionally by a personal visit. The record of all
employees sent to one employer is kept on a kind of ledger card. If
by the end of a month a child has not been placed, a form letter,
in which the child is called by his or her first name and which reads
as follows, is sent to him or her:
M

y

D eak T om

( oe E l i z a b e t h ) :

You applied at this bureau fo r employment a short time ago, and I should
like to know whether you have secured w ork or not. I f you are working at
present, I should be glad if you would write and tell me the name o f the firm,
the kind o f work you are doing, and how much you are earning, I f you are
not working, won’t you come in to my office in the Jones School some morning
between 9 and 12 so that I can keep you on my waiting list?
Yours, sincerely,
D irector.

The bureau is particularly active during the school-vacation
periods to secure jobs for the armyvof juvenile workers. An especial
effort was made to prevent the children from leaving school during
a period of general industrial depression by having the principals
of the schools impress on them the improbability of their receiving
work. Instead of looking after the need of the children, positions
during that season were sought for worthy fathers. Principals were
urged to withhold working certificates during that period. Scholar­
ships to trade schools were secured for as great a number of young
persons as possible, in order that they might be learning a trade
which they could profitably enter when better times should come.




O TH ER PU BLIC AND SEM IPU BLIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES.

’

63

V O CAT IO N AL GUIDANCE D EPAR TM ENT OF THE BU R EA U OF COMPULSORY
EDU CATIO N OF P H IL A D E L P H IA .

Under the laws of Pennsylvania which provide for the regulation
of the employment of all juveniles, the director of the State employ­
ment bureau of the department of labor and industry is permitted
to enter into an agreement to work through or in cooperation with
the school authorities of any city for the establishment and mainte­
nance of this important work. As part of the agreement with the
State authorities, the bureau of compulsory education in Philadel­
phia deals exclusively with minors under 18 years of age seeking
placement or advice in regard to employment.
The most pressing problem before the employment division of the
bureau has been the development of a system for the issuance of
em p^m ent certificates. During his first six months in office the
time and attention of the employment supervisor, therefore, was
devoted largely to work of that nature. During the first half of 1916
approximately 1,000 children from the public elementary and higher
schools, as well as from the parochial and private schools of the city,
applied to the bureau for placement or advice in regard to employ­
ment. These minors ranged from 14 to 18 years of age.
The children who applied for employment were taken personally
in charge by the employment supervisor or his assistant and given
full information in regard to the occupations for which they seemed
best fitted by aptitude and training. Many of those who appeared
to be especially bright or evidently in need of additional training
were induced to return to school, while others who were fairly well
equipped for employment were placed in positions in establishments
throughout the city. More than 700 children of this group volun­
tarily reported back to the bureau that they had been accepted by
the employers to whom they had been referred. In many instances
employment after school and during vacation was provided to sup­
plement the family income and to enable the parents to keep their
children in school, and in this particular the employment division has
been an almost indispensable’aid in the enforcement of the compul­
sory school attendance law.
Since effective work in the placement of children can be done only
through cordial cooperation with employers, a portion of thfe employ­
ment supervisor’s time, especially during the early period of the year,
was spent in visiting the* most important industrial and commercial
establishments in the city, and in this way the bureau was brought
into personal touch with members of firms, superintendents., employ­
ment managers, and others directly interested in the employment of
children.
It should be understood that time has not permitted the work of
giving advice and counsel to children in regard to employment to




64

P U B L IO E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N ITED STATES.

progress beyond the elementary stage. However, it is hoped that
this important phase of the bureau’s work will, in the future, be fur­
ther developed so that parents and teachers can be furnished with
information in regard to the character and scope of the industries of
Philadelphia, the compensation offered, and opportunities for ad­
vancement, and with plain and intelligent directions as to how and
when children in their care can best be introduced into these fields of
activity, in order to become, eventually, useful and contented workers
in the industrial and commercial establishments of the city.
CONCLUSION.
NEED OF UNIFORM SYSTEM OF RECORDS, REPORTS, AND
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS.

The examination of the plans pursued by the various employment
offices and the methods adopted for keeping the records, of the work
done by them disclosed an utter lack of uniformity. While several
of the offices used blank forms apparently calling for practically the
same information, there were no generally accepted definitions or in­
terpretations of the various terms used on them. Also there was but
little uniformity of method or practice in recording the informa­
tion. In some offices every person who comes in to apply for a job is
registered; in others only those are registered for whom positions are
available at that time. Some offices renew the application of a per­
son each day he comes to the employment office; others make no
records whatever of renewals; while others renew them every 30 or
60 days. Some offices report as positions filled all persons sent out
to positions; others report only those whom they ascertain to have
been actually hired. Some record as an employer any one of the.
several superintendents or division managers of a corporation who
applies for workers; others regard the corporation as the employerand make but one entry even though several different officials of the
corporation may have applied for help in their several departments.
These and many other differences in methods of keeping records wer©
found, so that no fair comparison could be made of reports compiled
by the various offices.
With the idea of bringing order out of chaos, the American Asso­
ciation of Public Employment Offices at its* 1916 meeting in Buffalo,
N. Y., appointed a committee on standardization to present at the
next annual meeting of the association recommendations concerning
standards to be observed by public employment offices.
Four sessions of the committee have been held. The first meeting
was in New York City, January 23 and 24,1917; the second in Cleve­
land, March 12 and 13, 1917; the third in Chicago, June 6 and 7*




CO N CLU SION .

65

1917; and the fourth in Milwaukee, September 19, 1917* There fol­
lows a summary of the resolutions adopted at those conferences and
copies of blank forms adopted.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDIZATION,
Resolved, That when any public employment office receives an order calling
for more than two workers, the employer shall be asked to give definitely the
actual number o f places he has open. The employer’s statement o f the number
o f places he has open shall be set down as his demand for employees.
R esolved, That when all efforts fail to ascertain from an employer the number
o f positions he has open, the number o f persons sent to him for positions on
any one day shall be taken as the number o f persons called for by him on that
flay and such number shall be entered each day as his demand for employees.
Resolved, That every public employment office should register each applicant
who applies at the desk or by mail for work, for the first time, and that suf­
ficient clerical force and office facilities to register all such applicants should
be provided for each office.
I f for any reason an office is unable to register all applicants for employment
its reports, annual or other, shall state what classes have not been registered
aod the reasons necessitating the omission o f such classes.
R esolved, That as soon as possible the several public employment offices in
their annual reports make all statistical tabulations cover the calendar year.
R esolved, That there be adopted a system o f eliminating the application
cards from the files at the end o f some period to be subsequently decided upon.
R esolved, That at the ctose o f each calendar year the cards o f all applicants
for positions who have not renewed their applications or been referred to posi­
tions during the two full calendar years preceding shall be eliminated perma­
nently from the files. I f an eliminated card is consulted for any purpose it
shall in no case be restored to the files or used in lieu o f a new application
card, and any applicant whose card has been eliminated shall, if again making
application, be treated as a new applicant and registered accordingly on a new
card.
Illustration.
Suppose it is decided to begin the elimination o f the cards from the files on
January 1, 1918. Elimination should be made only o f the cards o f those appli­
cants who have had no dealings with the bureau either by original registration,
renewal, or reference to a position for at least two full calendar years preceding
January 1, 1918. Suppose Mr. A registered January 2, 1916, and has since had
no dealings with the office. His card should not be eliminated because his
registration has not run two full calendar years preceding January 1, 1918, the
date o f eliminating cards from the files. His card should not be eliminated
until the next day o f elimination comes, namely, January 1, 1919. The reso­
lution as adopted provides for the elimination o f the cards o f applicants who
have had no dealings with the employment office for a period o f at least two
full calendar years and less than three full calendar years. W hat is true o f
new registrations is equally true of renewals. Any applicant who either regis­
ters, renews his registration, or is sent out to employment subsequent to
January 1, 1916, should have his card retained in the files jintil January 1, 1919.
That means that on January 1, 1918, registration and renewal cards w ill be
eliminated running back to and including January 2, 1915.
44291°— Bull. 241— 18------ 5




6 .6

P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES I N T H E U N IT E D STATES.

Resolved, That applications should be renewed and renewals recorded every
day that a registered applicant for employment appears at an employment
bureau. Bureaus may permit renewals by mail or telephone.
Resolved, That on the first o f each month all applications which were made
prior to the fifteenth day o f the preceding month shall b e placed in the inactive
file, unless in the meantime they have been renewed.
R esolved, That at the close o f each calendar year the cards o f all employers
who have not renewed their applications during the two fu ll calendar years
preceding shall be eliminated permanently from the files. I f an eliminated
card is consulted for any purpose, it shall in no case be restored to the files or
used in lieu o f a new order card, and an employer whose card has been elimi­
nated shall, if again making application, be treated as a new employer and
registered accordingly on a new card.
R esolved, That statistics be tabulated showing the number o f persons who
have secured one position and the number o f persons who have secured more
than one position through the employment bureau during the calendar year.
Resolved, That a record be kept o f the number o f offers o f positions made
through each employment bureau, and that the term “ offer o f position ” be
understood to refer to an individual offer to one person.
Resolved, That a position shall be considered secured only when the employ­
ment bureau has direct evidence that a person sent to it has been actually
employed and that such evidence shall be in the form o f a record that the
inform ation was received by telephone or inquiry from the office, or voluntarily
from the employer, or by mail, or at the office personally by either the employer
er employee.
Resolved, That the active files shall contain only employers’ or employees*
record cards and verification cards o f places filled which have been used within
one month.
R esolved, That the inactive files shall contain only employers’ and employees*
record cards and verification cards o f places filled w hich have not been used
within one month, but w hich have been used within the two preceding calendar
years.
R esolved, That the dead files shall contain only employers’ and employees’
record cards and verification cards o f positions filled which have been in disuse
for two previous calendar years but which may have to be preserved as public
records.
Resolved, That data fo r males and females be clearly distinguished on the
records and in reports.
R esolved, That registrations and placements o f minors under 19 be reported
separately, and that the minimum .age in this group be stated.
R esolved, T h at bureaus should distinguish in their records and reports
between temporary and steady positions. All data should be reported by occu­
pation, but, in addition, the total number o f placements for each sex should be
divided into three general groups, as follow s: (1 ) Temporary, one d a y; (2)
temporary, other (tw o days or less than one month) ; (3) steady (one month or
m ore). The duration o f the position in each case is to be determined from the
facts secured in connection w ith making the placements.




CO N CLU SION .
FORM 1.

{Front of card.]
em ployers’

order

.
Nil]mber..................

.. --------- ------- - - . —
Name:

............ . ......

m------------------------------------------------Date:

Address:

Telephone:

Occupation:

Number wanted;

Wages:

Hours:

Nationality:

Sex:

Probable duration
of work:

Age limit:

Color:

Married
or
Single:

Apply to
Remarks:

[Back of card.]

HELP SENT.

Persons sent.




Nationality.

D^te sent.

Result.

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H B U N IT E D STATES.

FORM 2.
[Front of card.]

APPLICATION FOR W O R K .

No...............

*

Name:

Date:

Address:

Telephone:

Occupation:

Wages wanted:

Also willing to work as

Wages wanted:

Age:

Color:

Birthplace:

Citizen of U. S.:

Married.
Single.
Widowed.
Speak English.
Read English.

Willing to work
out of town:

V

LAST EMPLOYMENT.

Where:
Occupation:
Time employed:
Wages:
Reasons for leaving:

How long unemployed:
Remarks:




Number of depen­
dents:
Renewals:

C O N CLU SIO N .

POSITIONS OFFERED.

Employer.




Occupation.

Date sent.

Result.

70

P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T OFJF1CES I2T T H E U N IT E D STATES.
INTRODUCTION CABO.
[Front.]

F r e e E m p l o y m e n t O ffice .

(C i t y ) ............................................. . 1917.
To.

This will introduce.............................................................................................................
as an .applicant lor the position of...... .......................................... a t ..................................
(occupation)
(wages)
...........................Supt.
Employer please fill trat space below and return card by mail.
I have...................hired................................................................. ...........................................for the
position of— . . . ..... .................................. and he went to work..................................... .......... 1917.
Name of employer.......................

...................................... ...........

Address.......................................................................................

[Back.]

POST CARD.

[1-cent stamp.]

F r e e E m plo ym en t O ffice

It was the opinion of the committee that these three cards were the
minimum number needed to record all necessary information.
COOPERATION BETWEEN FEDERAL AND OTHER PUBLIC EM­
PLOYMENT OFFICES.

The work of municipal employment offices is naturally more or
less limited to the needs of the cities in which such offices are located.
In the same way the scope of the work of most State offices has been
to supply State needs. There was for a long time no plan for a na­




C0iNCLUSI02>r.

71

tionalization of the labor market. The words “ bureau,” “ office,”
and u agency ” were the only ones used to describe the establishment
engaging in placement activities. There was no idea of the labor
“ exchange,” such as predominates in Europe. With the entry of the
Federal Government into the employment field, however, a readjust­
ment of ideas along these lines began. The Federal employment
offices, in their endeavor to serve the Nation, first sought cooperation
with the State and municipal offices informally and later by direct
agreements. With only an occasional exception there has been a
rather definite belief that these cooperative arrangements have not
produced the most satisfactory results. The question of authority
among different officials appointed us representatives of different
governmental units has been one that has greatly hampered the
work that might otherwise have been done. A second difficulty has
been the duplication of work believed to be necessary in the submis­
sion of reports to State and Federal and sometimes municipal officials.
Another handicap has been the uncertainty as to the length of time
Federal employees would be kept at one place, without assignment
for at least part-time immigration duties.
Cognizant of these matters the conference of employment office
officials and those hiaving the interest of public employment offices
at heart, which met in Chicago June 6 and 7,1917, after a careful con­
sideration of many plans for cooperation between the United States
and the several States in employment matters, decided upon the
adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the necessity for a National Bureau of Employment Offices has been
long recognized, and
Whereas the present war emergency further emphasizes the need* of such a
bureau: Therefore be it
Resolved, That the American Association of Public Employment Offices recom­
mends to Congress the immediate establishment of a National Bureau of Employ­
ment Offices under the United States Department of Labor, as follows:
1.
The National Bureau of Employment Offices shall aid and assist the several
State systems already in existence and encourage and aid the establishment of
such systems in other States under the following conditions:
(a) That each State shall adopt such record system, methods of work, and
form of reporting as shall be approved by the National Bureau.
( b ) That each State shall report as an entire State to such place and at such
times as shall be approved by the National Bureau.
(c) That the National Bureau shall furnish trained and experienced agents,
whose duty it shall be to aid in organizing systems in States where no system
has already been established; in the establishment of new offices in States now
having such systems; and in increasing the efficiency of offices previously estab­
lished. Said agents shall make such written reports concerning any office as
may be required by the National Bureau upon its own initiative or at the request
of the State director of employment offices. Copies of all such reports shall be
furnished the State director. All questions involving individual offices shall be
taken up with the State director.




72

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

( d)
That the National Government shall contribute to every State working
under the system approved by the National Bureau one dollar for every dollar
appropriated and expended by said State for employment office work, including
such amounts as may be contributed by any political subdivision cooperating
with the State and a reasonable allowance for rental or other service. The
amount contributed by the Nat tonal Bureau shall be used fou employment office
work under the supervision of the State director of employment offices.
2. The National Bureau of Employment Offices shall establish clearing houses
in such groups of States as shall be deemed necessary for the efficient exchange
of information and the proper distribution of labor.
3. The National Bureau
Employment Offices shall have an advisory com­
mittee consisting of the director of the National Bureau and the State directors
of employment offices. The director of the National Bureau shall be ex officio
chairman of the advisory committee. Said committee shall meet at least twice
a year, traveling and other necessary expenses incident thereto being borne by
the National Government.
4. The National Bureau of Employment Offices shall be given authority to
license, supervise* and regulate all private employment agencies doing an inter­
state business.

Since the adoption of the resolution a bill embodying all of its
features has been introduced in both Houses of Congress providing
for the establishment of a Federal employment service. No legisla­
tion in this form has resulted, but the Department of Labor, acting
under its general powers wto foster, promote, and develop the welfare
of wage earners of the United States, to improve their working con­
ditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employ­
ment,” 1 has undertaken to cooperate with State and other agencies in
securing a distribution of labor and the supply of local needs quite
in line with the spirit #of the resolution above reproduced. Also,
traveling examiners are employed by this department to look after
the economical placement of workers according to the requirements
of industry and the aptitude of the employee, such action being
authorized by orders of the. Secretary of Labor.
i Sec. 1, ch. 141, Acts of 1912-13. See also sec. 30, ch. 29, Acts of 1916-17 : It shall
be the duty of said division [of information in the Department of Labor] to promote a
beneficial distribution of aliens admitted info the United States among the several States
and Territories desiring immigration.







GENERAL TABLES.

73

T a b le A .— YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT, CONTROL, PERSONNEL, SUPERVISION, AND EXPENDITURES OF STATE AND

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.

Year
estab­
lished.

Control of bureau.
Num­
ber
Total. under
civil
service.

Expenditures for 1 year.

Superintendent appointed by—
Year ending—

Superin­
tendence.

Other help,
exclusive
of janitor.

Rent.1

California.
1915
1902
1914

Municipal.............................
....... do....................................
State-Municipal..................

1
1
19

19

4. Oakland........... ..............
5. Sacramento. .
6. San Francisco...............

1916
1916
1916

State.....................................
.. ..d o ..................
....... do....................................

2
3
11

2
3
11

1908
1908
1908
1908
1913

___ d o.....................................
....... do....................................
....... d o....................................
....... d o....................................
County-Municipal..............

2
2
2

1901
1901
1901
1901
1901

State.....................................
....... d o....................................
....... do...................................
....... do....................................
....... d o ..................................

2

1915

Municipal.............................

1

1915
1899
1907
1901

....... do....................................
State.....................................
.. ..d o ...................................
....... do....................................

9
38
5
5

Mayor and council........................... ..................... June 30,1915
City commidSidners............................ .................... Dec. 31,1916
State labor cdtiimissioner and municipal indus­ June 30,1917
trial coinriiisSion.
State labor commissioner................ ...................... ....... do.............
.d o .... - • ...........................

$1,080.00
1,238.76
1,980.00

$15,416.00

$300.00
210.00
2,497.84

1,797.38
2,097.38
3,127.50

1,404.34
2,180.92
7,978.12

830.00
480.00
2,160.00

2 . . . . do......................................................................... Nov. 30,1916
2 ....... do......................................................................... ....... d o.............
2
.
do............
do
*
2 ....... do.................................................. j ..................... ....... d o.............
1
Dec. 31,1916

2,200.00
2,200.00
2,200.00
2,200.00
2 3,800.00

IN

Colorado.

1

3cS5. 00

UNITED

2

300.00
480.00
540.00
720.00
Free.

THE

7. Colorado Springs............
8. Denver, No. 1..................
9. Denver, No. 2
10. Pueblo............................
11. Denver. .
.........

Connecticut.
Bridgeport.....................
Hartford..............
New H aven...................
N orw ich................
W aterbury.................

Idaho.

17. Boise...............................

1

1
1
1

1
1
1
1
1

1,200.00
1,200.00

State labor commissioner...................................... Sept. 20,1916
___d o.............
___d o . . . . ___
___d o.............
....... do.............

1,200.00
.1,200.00
1,200.00

Feb. 28,1917

1,200.00

9 Director, department of public welfare............... Dec. 31,1915
28 Governor.................................................................... Sept. 30,1916
2 ....... do..........................................................................
....... d o.............
2

4,500.00
11,400.00
3,700.00
3,700.00

Mayor.........................................................................

240.00
35.00
46.00
33.00
46.00

360.00
480.00
250.00
316.00
Free.

Illinois.
18.
19.
20.
21.

Chicago...........................
Chicago..................
East St. Louis.............
Peoria.............................




9.840.00
15,500.00
1.320.00
2,090.00

1,800.00

K 879.96
1,200.00
900.00

STATES.

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

OFFICES

1. Berkeley..........................
2. Sacramento.....................
3. Los Angeles.....................

EMPLOYMENT

State and city.

PUBLIC

Regul&r em­
ployees, ex­
clusive of
jaiiitor.

^

22. Rockford........................
23. Hock Island-Moline___
24. Springfield................

....... do...................................

5
5
5

2 ....... do.......................................................................... ....... d o.............
2 ....... d o .......................................................................... ....... d o.............
2 ........do......................................................................
____ do . . . . . . .

1911
1911
1909
1911
1911

....... dti...................................
....... dcj...................................
....... do....................................
....... d o...................................

2
2
2
2
2

Chief, bureau of statistics.......................................
....... d o.......................................................................... ....... do
....... do..........................................................................
. .do .........
....... do.......................................................................... ....... d o ............
....... do..........................................................................

1915

........d o...................................

1

State commissioner of labor statistics.. . . . . . . . . . June 30,1917

1, 200.00

Do.

1901

........do...................................

1

State labor commissioner......... ............................. June 30,1916

1, 600.00

Do.

1912
1915

........do...................................
Municipal-private..............

2
2

Cortimissioher of agriculture and labor................
Mayor’s cottimittee on unemployment................

1, 200.00
960.00

1906
1907
1907
1913

State.....................................
....... do...................................
....... d o...................................
do

14
1
6
5

14 Director, bureau of statistics................................. .N ov. 30,191B
1 ....... d o ....................................................................... ........d o............
6 ....... d o .......................................................................
5 ....... d o ......................................................................... .. ..d o ............

1,800.06

3 12,841.65

1 200.00
1.500.00
1 200.00

3 3,883.46
3 2,926.44

1916
1916
1895
1915
1908
1908
1907
1916

1
1
1
1
1
1
i
l
l

Conlmissioner of labor...........................................
....... d o .......................................................................... ....... d o .4..........
........d o .........................................................................
........d o ............
........d o........................................................ ................ .. ..d o ............
........d o ......................................................................... .. ..d o ............
........d o .........................................................................
........d o ......................................................................... ........d o .4..........

500.00
500.00
3,300.00
1, 000.00

1907

....... dd...................................
....... do...................................
....... do...................................
....... do...................................
....... do...................................
....... do...................................
....... d o...................................
....... d o...................................
....... d o...................................
....... d o ...................................

........d o ......................................................................... . . ..d o ............

1,000.00

1908
1907
1908

....... d o...................................
....... do...................................
....... d o ...................................

2
4
3

Indiana.
Evansville___
Fort W ayne..
Indianapolis..
South Bend...
Terre HautB..

600.00
1,157.00
600.00

....... d o...........................____

1913
1913
1909

3.700.00
3.700.00
3.700.00

,

1,200.00
1 200.00

.

1.500.00

1 200.00
1, 200.00

1, 120.00
1.320.00
1.320.00

80Q.00

Free.

1.50Q.C0

Free.
D o.
Do.

860.00
E00.00
$00.00

120.(»

Iowa.
30. Des Mdines....

Kansas.

*1. Tdpeka...........

1

32. Louisville.........

Louisville........

Dec. 31,1916
Sept. 30,1916

Mhisd,chUsetts.
Boston........
Fall R jv e r ..
Springfield..
Worcester...

.... .....................

,
.

584.70

388.00

396.00
Ffree.

4.200.00
540.00

1.020.00
1,200.00

Michigan.

88.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.

Battle C reek...
Bay Cjty............
Detroit...............
Flint...................
Grand Rapids.
Jackson..............
Kalamazoo........
Lansing..............
Muskegon..........
Sdgiiiaw.............

tm

TABLES.

§4.
35.
36.
37.

600.00

GENERAL

Kentucky.

120.00

Free.
900.00
Free.
480.00
215.00
240.00
Free.
Do.
Do.

1,000.00
1,000.00
1,000. t)0
500.00
666.00

Minnesota.
49. Minneapolis..

50. St. P aul........

2 ........do.......................................................................... June 30,1916
4 ....... d o ......................................................................... ........do.............
........d o.............
3

1 Reported “ Free” when quarters are furbished by city or Cotlnty in which situated, or ih State
* Total appropriation for lodging house and employment bureau. Expenditure not separated.




building.

1, 200.00

1,200.00
i, 200.00

31,041.79
3,102. 99
1,056.53

3 Includes salaries of janitors.
4 For 11 months.

720.00
Free.
Do.

OX

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Concluded.

Control of bureau.

Expenditures for 1 year.
Superintendent appointed by—
Year ending—

Superin­
tendence.

Other help,
exclusive
of janitor.

Rent.1

Missouri.

1900

State-Federal....................

6

63. St Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . .

1900
1900
1914

.......do.................................
State..................................
County-Municipal.............

3
1
1

1902

Municipal..........................

1

1915
1915
1916

State..................................
Municipal.................. .......
Federal-State-County-Mu­
nicipal.

<1
1
5

2

54 . St. Joseph. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dec. 31,1916

$4,500.00

2$2,820.00

$1,500.00

.......do............
.......do............
Mar. 31,1916

1,200.00
1,080.00
660.00

2,100.00

(3)
360.00
Free.

City council.......................................................... Apr. 30,1915

1,500.00

2 Governor and U. S. Commissioner General of
Immigration.
1 ...... do...................................................................
Governor..............................................................
Social welfare board.............................................

Montana.
65. Butte............ .

Do.

OFFICES

fll. TTftriRfts City____ Tr___

EMPLOYMENT

Num­
ber
Total. under
civil
service.

PUBLIC

State and city.

Year
estab­
lished.

Regular em­
ployees, ex­
clusive of
janitor.

76

T a b l e A .— YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT, CONTROL, PERSONNEL, SUPERVISION, AND EXPENDITURES OF STATE AND

Nebraska.

Do.
Do.
Do.

3 State commissioner of labor and U. S. Com­ Dec. 31,1916
missioner General of Immigration.
6 .......do................................................................... .......do...........

1,400.00

1,800.00

Do.

1,800 00

4,850.00

Do.

Commissioner of licenses..................................... ....... do...........
Director of public emplovment bureaus............ Sept. 30,1916
.......do................................................................... .......do............
.......do...................................................................
.......do...........
64. Buffalo.........................
.......do................................................................... .......do...........
.......do................................................................... ....... do...........

3.000.00
2.900.00
4.000.00
2.650.00
2,900.00
2,862.50

17,340.00
1.380.00
8.380.00
2.200.00
2,820.00
3,287.50

2
4

2 State industrial commission............................... July 30,1916
4 .......do................................................................... .......do...........

175.00

18 ........ do................................................................................
69. Cleveland ........ do..............
3

1,500.00
3.150.00
4.800.00
1.650.00

147.62

18
3

1,920.00
3,057.44
1,440.00

Free.
Do.
420.00

New Jersey.

69. Jersey City...................

1916

Municipal-State-Federal..

3

60. Newark................ .

1909

....... do................................

6

1914
1915
1915
1915
1915
1915

Municipal..........................
State..................................
.......do................................
.......do................................
.......do................................
.......do................................

21
4
10
5
6
6

67. Akron..........................
68. Cincinnati....................

1915
1890

State-Municipal................
.......do................................

.........................
70. Columbus.........................,

1890
1890

New York.

61. New York....................
62. Albany.........................
63. Brooklyn.....................
65. Rochester........... ........
66. Syracuse.......................

15
4
10
5
6
6

Do.
Do.
1,741.66
1,500.00
1.170.00
1.050.00

Ohio.




STATES.

(*)
(3)
• 3 720.00

UNITED

(8)
(3)
®1,740.00

<*)
(8)
(*)

THE

Deputy commissioner of labor............................
Mayor..................................................................
Superintendent, board of public welfare and U.
S. Commissioner General of Immigration.

IN

56. Lincoln.........................
57. Lincoln.........................
58. Omaha.........................

71., D avton..............

72. Toledo................
73. Youngstown___

.do.

1890
1890
1915

-do.
.do.

1910
1909
1908
1915

State...
........do.
........do.
........do.

1907

Municipal.

1916
1915
1915
1915
1916

S tate...
........do.
........do.
........do.
........do.

1908

.do..

1914
1914

Municipal.
____ do........ .

1915

.do..

3 ........ d o................................................................................. ........ d o . . .
5 ........ do................................................................................. ........ d o . . .
2

1.500.00
1.500.00
1.500.00

900.00
1,269.05
540.00

Free.
420.00
Free.

Oklahoma.

74.
75.
76.
77.

Enid...................
Muskogee...........
Oklahoma..........
Tulsa..................
*

............ Dec. 31.1916
State commissioner of labor...............
........ d o................................................................................. ........ d o . . .
........ do................................................................................. ........ d o .- ..
........ do................................................................................. July 1,1916

1, 200.00
900.00

600.00

120.00

Commissioner of public affairs.................................. Nov. 30,1916

1,800.00

3,000.00

2 000.00

900.00
900.00

150.00
144.00
180.00

Oregon.

78. Portland............

4

,

Pennsylvania.

1
1

Commissioner of labor and industry...................... Sept. 30, 1916
........ d o................................................................................. ........ d o..............
........ d o................................................................................. ........ d o . . .
.
........ do.................................................................................
. .d o ...........
........ d o.................................................................................
.d o ... .

8
^ 16

(6)
(3)

600.00

(3)

<3)

(5)
(8)

<*)

Free.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

Rhode Island.

S4. Providence........

Commissioner of industrial statistics....................

1,500.00

1,140.00

Director of public welfare........................................... Apr. 30,1917
City commissioners....................................................... Dec. 31,1916

960.00
1,500.00

720.00

Free.
Do.

Commissioners
bureau.

1,500.00

1,500.00

Do.

1, 200.00

4,286.30

2,131.45
2,700.00

'"m'.bb'

Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
600.00

720.00
2.845.00
741.00

2,339.00

650.00

85. Dallas...................

86. Fort W orth.......
Virginia.

87. R ichm ond......... .

of the

public

employment ........ do..............

TABLES,

Dec. 31,1916

Texas.

GENERAL

79. Altoona..............
Harrisburg.........
Johnstown.........
Philadelphia___
Pittsburgh.........

80.
81.
82.
83.

Washington.

88. Bellingham........
89. Everett..............
90. Seattle................
01. Spokano.............
92. Tacoma.............. .

1

City council.....................................................................
Commissioner of public works..................................
City labor commissioner.............................................
City council.....................................................................
Commissioner of public safety............................

___ d o..............
Dec. 31,1915
Nov. 30,1916
Dec. 31,1915
Dec. 31,1916

1914
1912
1894
1905
1904

Federal-Municipal.
Municipal.................
____ d o.........................
------ d o .........................
Federal-Municipal.

5
1
3

1903
1901
1903

State.......................................
State-County-Municipal..
State......................................
State-Municipal.................

1 State industrial commission...................................... June 30,1917
6 ........ d o .................................................................................
1
June 30,1915
<10
2 ........ do................................................................................. . . .d o .............

1,114.85
900.00

• Wisconsin.

93. LaCrosse............
94. Milwaukee......... .
95. Oshkosh..............
96. Superior............. .

.... ............................................

1 Reported “ free” when quartos are furnished by city or county in which located,
or in State building.
Exclusive of salaries paid Federal employees temporarily assigned to bureau.
* Not reported.

2




.

1 200.00

720.00

Free.
1,713.50
Free.
Do.

4 Averages one hour a day on employment work.
6 Estimate for year of operation on cooperative basis.
6 No superintendent— workmen’s compensation referee acts in that capacity.
7 Including 8 volunteer workers during greater part of year.

-<r

T able B.— HO0RS OPEN, WAITING ROOMS PROVIDED, REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO SENDING WORKERS TO POSITIONS
AND FREQUENCY OP REPORTS, IN STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.

Monday to Friday.

.

Saturday.

How fre­
For what kind of positions Are applicants asked Are applicants sent to quently
are
Wo­
are applicants required to whether they belong to
places affected by
men
reports
a
labor
union?
strikes
or
lockouts?
give
references?
seek­ Ju­ Em­
made?
ing ve­ ploy­
em­ niles? ers?
ploy­
ment?

California.
Monthly.

............... ...... do.........................
do
7 to 5 1
7 to 4 1
8. Los Angeles

Do.
Daily.

7

5

do

7

5:30

7

5.30

No.. No.. No..

Y es. Y es. Yes. Higher grade mechanics, Not unless employer ....... do
office and domestic po­
specifies.
sitions.
do
... .do
...... do
Y es. N o .. Yes
do
Y e s. N o .. Y es.
do
do
do
...... do
do
Yes. N o .. Yes

.....
......................
................... ..... ...................
.....
........................ ..... ...................
...................
..... ........................
................... ..... ...................

8
5
8.30
4.302

8

8

5

8

5

8

to 6

6

Yes.
Y es.
Yes.
Y es.

No .......................
.........................
8. Denver, No. No
1 .......................
.....
do .......................
.....
do........................ No.......................
.....
........................
No.......................
No.. ..... do........................ No.......................

No.. No.. None

No..
No..
No..
No.. No..

No..
No..
K o ..

do

.........................
No.. ..... do........................
No.. ..... do........................
No .......do........................

No.. No.. No.. None

No..
No..
No
No..

No..
No..
No
No..

No.. No.. No..

W hen required by

ployer.

em­

.......................
.......................
.......................
.......................
.......................

No

No
No
No
No

applicants of
....................... Inform
conditions.
No....................... No.......................
No....................... No.......................
No *..................
.................
No.......................
No

Y es

Question has not arisen

No

.......................

Inform applicants of
conditions.

Do.

Monthly.
Do.

Do.
Do.
Annually.
Monthly.
Do.

Do.
po.
Do.

Monthly.

STATES.




8
5
8.30
4.30 2 ....................

Do.

UNITED

..... to to.................... to to...............
.......
.......
.....todo....................
................... .....todo...............
..............
.......
.................
................ ..... do...................
Connecticut.
to 12; 1 to 4...........
to 12..............
12. Bridgeport............
.....
do................... ..... do..............
13. Hartford........ .
14. New Haven........... ..... do................... ..... do..............
15. Norwich.............. ...... do................... ...... do..............
16. Waterbury............ ..... do................... ..... do..............
Idaho.
17. Boise.................. 8
.................... 8 to ...............
9. Denver, No. 2
10. Pueblo
11. Dehver

Do.

THE

Colorado.

7. Colorado Springs

conditions.
2. Sacramento No....................... ...... do.........................
..... do........................
...................

IN

.........*....... ..... ..............
.............
........
4. Oakland.............. ..... do...................
to ...............
6. Sacramento........... ..... do................... ..... ..............
to
................. to ............
6. San Francisco........

OFFICES

1. Berkeley.................... 8 to 5............................ 8 to 5......................... No;. No.. No.. None................................. No.............................. Inform applicants of

EMPLOYMENT

State and city.

PUBLIC

Are separate wait­
ing rooms provided
for—

Hours open.

-J
00

Illinois.

18. Chicago
..................
19. Chicago.......................

8 to 5.................................
7 to 0 ..............................

8 to 12.......................

East St. L ouis...........
Peoria.........................
R ockford....................
Rock Island-Moline..
Springfield..................

8 to 5.................................
....... d o.............................
....... d o.............................
....... do.............................
....... d o.............................

8 to 12.......................
....... do.....................
8 to 12.30..................
8 to 12.......................
....... do......................

20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Yes. N o ..
Yes. N o ..

Yes.
Y es.

Yes.
Yec.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

Y es.
N o ...
N o ..
Y es.
N o ..

N o ..
N o ..
N o ..
N o ..
N o ..

rNo..................................
Not unless employer
All except labor positions,
specifies.
but no application re- ___ do.............................
' jected if the applicant ___ d o.............................
refuses to give references. ___ d o.............................
___ do.............................
___ d o ............................

N o..................................
N o..................................

Dailg.
Do.
D o.
Do.
Do.
Do.

N o..................................
N o ..................................
N o ..................................
N o ..................................
N o ..................................

Indiana.

9 to 5.................................

8 to 12; 1 to 5................

9 to 5 * ...................
8 to 12; 1 to 5 «.

N o ..................................
Not unless employer
specifies.
. .. .d o ............................
........do.............................
........do.............................

N o..................................
N o ..................................

Weekly.
Do.

N o..................................
N o ..................................
Inform applicants of
conditions.

Quarterly.
Weekly.
Do.

Iowa .

30. Des Moines.................

8.30 to 5.........................

8.30 to 12................

N o .. N o .. N o ... Positions of responsibility. Y e s ................................. N o..................................

Monthly.

Kansas.

31. Topeka........................ 8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 5

Not unless employer
specifies.

Question has not arisen

Do.

82. Louisville.................... 8 to 5.............................. 8 to 1....................... N o.. N o .. No .......... do.................................... N o ..................................
83. Louisville.................... 7.30 to 5.30.................... 7.30 to 5.30............. N o.. N o .. N o ..

Inform applicants of
conditions.

Do.

except
. labor
All positions.. Not unless employer ........do............................. Daily.

TABLES,

8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 4. N o.. N o .. N o ... When required b y em­
ployer.

Kentucky.

GENERAL

Yes. N o .. Y e s.. None.....................................
N o.. N o .. N o ... When required b y em­
ployer.
27. Indianapolis............... ....... d o............................. 8 to 12; 1 to 5 j . . . . N o.. N o .. N o .. Occasionally........................
28. South Bend................ ....... d o.?.................. ....... 8 to 12..................... Yes. N o .. Y es.. None..........'..........................
....... do..................... N o.. N o .. N o ... When required b y em­
29. Terre H aute...............
ployer.

2$. Evahsville..................
26. Ft. Wayne..................

specifies.

Massachusetts.
9 to 5.............................. 9 to 12..................... Yes. N o .. Y es.. None..................................... Asked, but not; re­ ........do............................
quired.
....... d o............................. ........do.............................
35. Fall R iv er.................. 9 to 12; l t o 5 6 ................ 9 to 12 e..................... N o.. N o .. N o ............ d o
36. Springfield.................... 8 to 5.............................. 8 to 12....................... Y es. N o .. N o ............ do.................................... ....... d o............................. ....... do.............................
Y es. N o ..
37. Worcester.................... ....... do.............................

Do.

34. Boston.........................

.....................

Do.
Do.
Do.

Michigan.

88.

B a ttle Creek ...............

7.3O to 11.30..................

39. Bay City .................... 7.30 to 11.30 i ................
40. Detroit....................... 7.30 to 4.........................
41. Flinti........................... 7.30 to 12; 1 to 4 ...........

7.30 t o l l . 30........... N o.. N o ..
7.30 to 11.307......... N o.. N o ..
7.30 to 12............... Yes. N o ..
7.30 to 127.............. N o.. N o ..

N o ............ do.................................... N o ..................................
N o ............ do.................................... N o ..................................
N o ...................................
Y e s.
N o.................................
No

1 For m en’s industrial division; wom en’s household division and commercial division 8 to 4, except on Saturdays 8 to 12.
2Winter, 9 to 4.
s July and August, 9 to 12.
4May to October, inclusive, 8 to 12.




N o..................................
N o..................................
N o..................................
N o..................................

Monthly.
Do.
Do.
Do.

s June to October, inclusive, 8 to 12.
8 Closed during August.
^ 1 to 4 during farm-hand season.

-J

T a b l e B.—HOURS OPEN, WAITING ROOMS PROVIDED, REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO SENDING WORKERS TO POSITIONS

AND FREQUENCY OF REPORTS, IN STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.

State and city.
Saturday.

Are applicants asked
whether they belong to
a labor union?

Are applicants sent to
places affected by
strikes or lockouts?

How fre­
quently are
reports
made?

Michigan—Concluded.
Monthly.
Do.
Do.

Do.
Do.
Do.

Do.

IN

N o .. N o .. N o ..
N o ...................................... N o ....................................
Y es. N o .. N o .. ........ do........................................ N o ...................................... N o ......................................
N o .. N o .. No ........ do........................................ N o .................... „ ............... N o ......................................
N o .. N o .. N o .. W hen required by em­ N o.................................. No
...........................
ployer.
N o ...................................... N o ......................................
46. Muskegon................... ....... d o............................. ....... do ........................ N o.. N o .. No
N o ...................................... N o ......................................
47. Saginaw ......................
7.30 to 3.30...................... 7.30 to 12 i ............... N o .. N o .. N o.. None .......................................

OFFICES

42. Grand Rapids............. 7 30 to 12; 1 to 4............ 7.30 to 12................
8 to 12; 1 to 4.................. 8 to 12.....................
43. Jackson. - * *..........
44. Kalamazoo.................. ........ do................................
45. Tensing......................
7.30 to 11.30.................... 7.30 to 11.30.........

Minnesota.
48. Duluth........................... 8 to 5.................................

8 to 12 2..................

Y es. N o .. No

Do.

Do.

UNITED

........d o ........................................ N o ...................................... Inform applicants of
conditions.
Y es. N o .. Yes. ........d o ........................................ N o ...................................... ........do ................................
Y es. N o .. No ........d o ........................................ N o ......................................

THE

49. ^Minneapolis................. ........do ................................ ........ do .2....................
50. St. Paul........................ ....... d o ................................ ........ do.®....................
Missouri.

51. Kansas C ity................
52. St. Louis ......................
53. St. Joseph ....................
54. St. Joseph ..................

Y es. N o .. Y es3 ........d o ....................................... Not unless employer
specifies.
Yes * N o .. Yes. Men in skilled trades; all N o ......................................
women.
8 to 12; 1 to 5 5.............. ........ d o ....................... N o .. N o .. N o.. N on e ........................................ Y e s ....................................
8 to 6 ............................... 8 to 6 ........................ N o .. N o .. N o.. Asked for in all cases but N o ....................................
8 to 4 ........................

N o ......................................

Do.

8 to 12......................

N o ....................................

Do.

No
............................
Do.
Question has not arisen Daily.

Montana.
9 to 12; 1 to 2.......... Y es. N o .. N o .. W hen required by
ployer.

em­

N o ...................................... Inform applicants of
conditions.

Monthly.

Nebraska.

56. Lincoln .......................... 8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 5 . . . .
57. Lincoln ..........................




8.30 to 12.................. N o .. N o .. N o.. N on e ......................................... N o ...................................... N o ...................................... Never.
8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 5 N o .. N o .. Y e s . W hen required by em­ Y e s .................................... Inform applicants of Annually.
ployer.
conditions.
8 to 5 ................................. 8 to 12..................... N o .. N o.. N o.. Asked for in all cases but
58. Omaha..........................
Weekly.
Y e s ....................................
not required.

STATES.

not required.

5& Butte .............................. 9 to 12; 1 to 5 .................

EMPLOYMENT

Monday to Friday.

W o­
For what kind of positions
men
are applicants required to
seek­ Ju­ Em ­
give reference?
ve­ ploy­
ing
em­ niles? ers?
ploy­
ment?

PUBLIC

Are separate wait­
ing rooms provided
for—

Hours open.

00
°

New Jersey.

Jersey City.
60. Newark___

9 to 4___
8.30 to 4..

1. 30 to 12..

) to 12......

No., N o.. No., Non©.................................. N o................................ No............................... Monthly.
Yes. N o.. Yes ......... do................................. Not unless requested
No................................
by employer.
Do.

8 to 56 .

8 to 12.

Yes. N o.. Yes.. Asked for in all cases but
not required.
Yes. N o.. Y es.
Yes. N o.. Yes.. .. .do................................
Yes. N o.. Yes.......... do.................................
Yes. N o.. Y es.......... do.................................
Yes. No..

New York.

New York............

■Bull. 241— 18-

9 to 5__
Albany.................
8 to 5 ....
Brooklyn..............
Buffalo...................... ___ d o ..
...... d o ..
Rochester.............
Syracuse...............
9 to 5 ....

9 to 12..
8 to 12..
...... do.
...... do.
9 to 1...

Optional...................... Inform applicants of
conditions.

Daily.

....... d o.......................... .......d o..........................
....... d o.......................... .......d o..........................
....... d o.......................... .......d o..........................

Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

Ohio.

67. Akron.......

7 to 4..

7 to 12..

Yes. N o.. No. . In special cases for m en... Not unless requested .......d o..........................
by employer.

Do.

68. Cincinnati.

7 to 5..

___ do..

Do.

Cleveland..

.do.

.do.

Yes. N o.. Yes . In special cases for men;
all women.
Yes. Yes.7 Yes . In special cases..................

Columbus..

7 to 4...

.do.

Dayton...................... .......do..
Toledo....................... .......do..
Youngstown.........
.......do..

.do..
.do..
.do..

Not unless requested .......d o ..........................
by employer.
.......do..........................

Do.

No.. N o.. Yes . Skilled and general houseworkers.
Yes. N o.. Yes . Skilled and in special cases .......do.......................... ....... d o..........................
Yes. N o.. Yes All...................................... .......do...........................
Yes. N o.. Yes In special cases.... . . . . . . . . ....... do..........................

Do.

No. . All except unskilled.......... ....... do.......................... .......d o . . ^ ............
.......d o.......................... .......d o..........................
No.
No. ......... do....................... ......... ....... do.......................... .......d o..........................
No.

Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

Do.
Do.
Do.

Oklahoma.

Enid..
Oklahoma.
Tulsa........

78. Portland.............

8 to 12; 1 to 5 8.
8 to 12; 1 to 5...
8 to 12; 1 to 5 9.
.......do...............

3to 12.............
3to 12; 1 to 5.,
3 to 12.............
....d o ............

Yes,
No.,
Yes,
Yes,

7 to 5..

7 to 12.

Yes. N o.. Yes.. When requested by em­
ployers.

N o..
N o..
N o..
N o..

N o................................ .......d o .......................

Monthly.

Pennsylvania.

.do.
.do.
Yes. N o.. Y es.. All except common labor. Not unless employer No............................... Weekly.
specifies.
No.. N o.. No. ......... do................................. ....... d o.......................... No...............................
8.30 to 12...
Do.
80. Altoona......
8.30 to 4.30.............
......... d o................................. .......do.......................... N o...............................
8 to 12........
No.. N o..
8 to 510....................
Do.
81. Harrisburg..
......... d o................................. ....... do.......................... N o...............................
No.. No
8 to 12; 1 to 4............... .......do........
Do.
82. Johnstown..
No................................
9 to 12........
No.. N o..
9 to 5.......................
83. Pittsburgh..
Do.
6 Open 7 to 5.30 during spring months.
i Open until 3.30 p. m. during farm-hand season.
During harvest season, 7.30 to 12; 1 to 5.30.
10 9 to 5 during winter.
* Open at 7.30 for 5 months.
6 9 to 4 during summer.
7 Girls only.
* For employers of women only.
<Practically no waiting room for men.
8 Opens at 7 spring and summer closes at 6 during summer.

79. Philadelphia......




9

T a b le B.—HOURS OPEN, WAITING ROOMS PROVIDED, REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO SENDING WORKERS TO POSITIONS

AND FREQUENCY OF REPORTS, IN STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES— Concluded.

Saturday.

How fre­
For what kind of positions Are applicants asked Are applicants sent to quently
Wo­
art
places affected by
are applicants required to whether they belong to
men
reports
a labor union?
strikes or lockouts?
give references?
seek­ Ju­ Em­
made?
ing ve­ ploy­
em­ niles? ers?
ploy­
ment?

Rhode Island.

9 to 5............................ 9 to 12................... Yes. No.. Yes. When requested by em­
ployer.

No................................ Inform applicants of Monthly.
conditions.

Texas.

85. Dallas........................ 7.30 to 5....................... 7.30 to 5................ No . No . No All...................................... Optional...................... .......do.......................... Daily.
$6. Fort Worth............... 8 to 12; 1.15 to 5.......... 8 to 12................... No.. No.. No.. When requested by em­ No................................ Question h^s not arisen Monthly.
ployer.

IK

Virginia.

No.. No.. Yes. All except unskilled.......... Yes.............................. Inform applicants of
conditions.

Do.

Washington.

88. Bellingham............... 8 to 12; 1 to 5............... 8 to 12; 1 to 5........

No..............................

Daily.

No................................ . ...d o.......................... Monthly.
No................................ .......do..........................
Do.
No..............................
No..............................

.. .do..........................
Do.
Daily.
.. .do...................

1During summer, 8 to 12.

No................................ ....d o ..........................
No............. ................. . .do..........................

Do.
Do.

No............................
No............................

Do.
Do.

8 Opens at 7.30 during winter.

.do..........................
. .do..........................

STATES.

Wisconsin.

93. LaCrosse.................... 8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 5 .... 8.30 to 12............... Yes. No.. Yes.
94. Milwaukee................. 7 to 5............................ 7 to 12................... Yes. Yes. Yes. When requested by em­
ployer.
95. Oshkosh...............
8.30 to 12; 1.30 to 5.30.. 8.30 to 12.............. No.. No.. No..
96. Superior.................
8 to 5............................ 8 to 12................... Yes. No.. Yes.

UNITED

No.. No.. Yes. When requested by em­
ployer.
89. Everett...................... 7 to 12; 1 to 4............... 7 to 12................... No.. No . No.. None..................................
90. Seattle....................... 8 to 5............................ 8 to 12; 1 to 5........ Yes. No.. Yes. When requested by em­
ployer.
91. Spokane.................... 8 to 12; 1 to 5............... 8 to 12; 1 to 5 J___ Yes. No . Yes. .......do................................
92. Tacoma...................... 8 to 4.30 2..................... 7 to 4.30 2.............. Yes. No.. No

THE

87. Richmond................. 8 to 4...........................




OFFICES

84. Providence...............

EMPLOYMENT

State and city.
Monday to Friday.

PUBLIC

Are separate wait­
ing rooms provided
for—

Hours open.

GENERAL TABLES.

S3

Table C.— OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
CALIFORNIA (2 bureaus).
Sacramento.

Berkeley.
Persons apply­
Per­
ing for work.
Appli­
sons
cations
Offers
from
of posi­
for by
New
employ­
tions.
employ­
Renew­
regis­
ers.
ers.
als.
trations.

Year and
month.

1915.
January. . .
February..
M arch........
A p ril...........
M ay............
June...........
July............
Au gust___
September.
O ctob er.. .
November.
December .
T otal.
1916.
January....
February..
March........
A p ril...........
M ay............
June............
Ju ly............
A ugust___
September.
October___
November.
Decem ber.
Total.

100
103
271
191
151
191
177
158
139
158
129
144

112
120
306
222
159
223
228
171
166
177
147
156

174
184
197
134
100
89
131
78
85
74
108
149

747
653
705
703
455
448
491
416
445
442
482
511

(x)

C1)
0)

1,912

2,187

1,503

6,498

118
142
240
205
168
203
217
256
187
237
243
188

131
150
259
218
183
224
235
276
207
257
261
205

182
189
104
61
101
76
59
87
57
62
94
91

2,404

2,606

1,163
i

Per­
Per­
Appli­
sons
sons
Offers
Posi­ cations
asked
from
apply­ of posi­
tions
for by
filled. employ­ employ­ ing for tions.
work.
ers.
ers.

171
147
313
240
255
310
340
392
342
416
335
336

173
06
113
84
60
84
100
101
78
72
87
75

C1)
0)
C1)
C1)
C)
C1)
C1)
(I)

P>
<*>
C1)
(x)

113
100
170
218
150
190
150
144
2 171
2 208
2 167
169

«
C1)
C1)
(!)

?>
(l)
C1)
0
w
C1)
C1)

C1)

C1)

1,950

3,597

1,123

C1)

C1)

617
533
554
307
304
428
312
356
287
28
415
449

(l)
C1)
(x)
(l)
C1)
C1)
(1)
0)

(L)
c1>
(l)
(*>
0)
0)
0
C1)
(!)
i1)

(1)
C1)

267
234
312
355
349
845
379
391
332
336
253
251

70
55
82
56
86
55
63
51
67
65
60
78

C1)
C1)
C1)
(1)

(l)
0)
C1)

133
175
182
217
205
201
191
204
2166
a 168
2 126
180

C1)
C1)
C1)
G)

(!)
(l)
C1)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0)

4,590

0)

0)

2,148

3,804

788

0)

0

C1)
C1)
(l)
C1)
0)
(l)
(l)

(l)

(})

C1)
0)
(l)
C1)
C1)
(l)
(l)

i figures same as under “ Persons asked lor by employers*2




Posi­
tions
filled.

C1)
C1)
h

* Estimated.

(l)
(*)
C1)
Cl)

84

P U B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN TH E U N IT E D STATES.

T a b le

C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.
COLORADO (4 bureaus).

Year and month.

Persons Persons
Persons
Persons
of asked Persons
asked apply­ Offers of asked Persons
Offers of
apply­ Offers
posi­
for by ing
posi­
for by ing
for by apply­
posi­
for
for
for tions.
tions. employ­ ing
tions. employ­ work.
employ­ work.
work.
ers.
ers.
ers.
Denver, N a l.

Colorado Springs.

Denver, No. 2.

1915.
January..................
February................
March.....................
April......................
May........................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October-..................
November..............
December..............

231
211
322
500
579
578
906
870
857
729
516
541

299
269
400
520
641
588
907
942
919
785
642
621

233
207
304
464
570
542
810
840
803
679
490
504

199
50
104
209
234
242
228
248
90
72
229
301

304
94
129
606
496
507
436
474
481
531
339
307

174
54
164
186
202
196
213
233
302
361
219
185

491
107
217
227
258
248
205
148
254
396
136
179

1,222
215
436
420
461
348
302
230
342
505
427
454

474
107
217
190
231
197
164
143
212
333
113
163

Total.............

6,840

7,533

6,446

2,206

4,704

2,489

2,866

5,362

2,549

456
348
552
617
724
964
1,242
1,479
656
693
549
457

590
681
718
869
906
1,025
1,227
610
682
613
392

399
138
337
145
509
196
556
297
292
668
422
800
858
374
1,104
446
582
612
565
588
449 ■
371
0)

214
257
351
415
355
409
410
404

100
95
146
185
236
344
339
371
385
378

9
1
C1)

C1)

277
446
376
437
493
346
584
370
374
C1)
200

8,313

7,198

3,001

2,579

120
159
260
316
339
446
270
722
462
468
0)
(l)
3,562

1916.
February................
March....................
April......................
May........................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
December..............
Total.............

8,737

3,510

i86

Pueblo.
1915.
January..................
February................
March....................
April......................
Maj ................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
Decembei...............

245
566
51
72
125
209
232
257
260
223
215
178

725
1,065
99
137
159
225
246
286
205
192
221
228

Total.............

2,633

3,788

1916.
January..................
Febniary................
March....................
April......................
May........................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November...............
December...............

117
156
243
485
539
1,088
502
491
983
717
441
390

Total.............

6,152




3,903

0)

103
159
233
267
284
374
249
453
263
286
124

2,795

Total.
245
566
49
72
125
207
232
257
203
188
213
149

1,166
934
694
1,008
1,196
1,277
1,571
1,523
1,461
1,420
1,096
1,199

2,550
1,643
1,064
1,683
1,757
1,668
1,891
1,932
1,947
2,013
1,629
1,610

1,126
934
734
912
1,128
1,142
1,419
1,478
1,520
1,561
1,035
1,001

2,506 * 14,545

21,387

13,990

187
253
394
475
701
533
590
944
672
475
408

112
149
223
353
433
669
497
482
862
617
435
366

831
808
1,251
1,715
1,894
2,920
2,388
3,138
2,713
2,466
990
847

5,632

6,198

21,961

1,240
1,594
1,745
2,132
2,515 •
2,259
2,810
2,334
2,132
1,088
1,000
20,849

* Data not available.

714
740
1,111
1,361
1,621
2,187
1,943
2,410
2,092
1,846
884
861
17,770

*

=====

=====

G EN ERAL TABLES.
T a b ie

85

C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.
CONNECTICUT (5 bureaus).

Year and month.

Persons Persons
asked
Posi­
for by applying
tions
for
em­
filled.
ployers. work.

Persons Persons
Posi­
asked
for by applying
tions
for
em­
filled.
work.
ployers.

Persons Persons
asked
Posi­
for by applying
tions
for
em­
filled.
work.
ployers.

Bridgeport.

Hartford.

New Haven.

1915.
January..................
February................
March.....................
April......................
May........................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
December..............

168
169
233
321
406
396
308
343
448
427
466
760

276
283
343
420
609
555
498
515
584
557
685
954

150
155
207
292
355
346
271
303
417
369
430
679

170
181
210
230
257
331
342
509
644
724
495
466

349
372
368
478
484
607
619
887
908
945
735
673

146
162
166
200
235
255
265
389
508
550
360
347

129
146
180
256
263
365
315
310
478
365
426
428

309
321
347
367
405
469
418
353
631
433
436
364

103
119
133
204
205
259
225
231
357
264
316
302

TotaL...........

4,445

6,279

3,974

4,559

7,425

. 3,583

3,661

4,853

2,718

1916.
January..
.......
February................
March.....................
April......................
May........................
June.......................
July.......................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
December..............

652
383
541
741
767
936
978
938
973
822
820
771

798
536
699
891
863
1.189
1.190
1,166
1.118
1,070
1,004
890

570
335
482
674
642
818
875
845
852
739
706
682

480
550
562
830
967
674
776
778
941
1,272
1,189
778

768
804
842
988
1,270
972
1,027
818
1,232
1,576
1,453
982

380
460
427
546
725
497
553
485
725
947
961
651

444
451
510
565
924
854
741
852
918
1,072
977
733

484
560
695
665
963
956
907
1,033
1,079
1,226
1,197
1,035

312
325
403
436
722
673
601
664
765
868
803
628

Total.............

9,322

11,414

8,220

9,797

12,732

7,357

9,041

10,800

7,200

Waterbury.

Norwich.

Total.

1915.
January..........; ......
February................
March.....................
April......................
tMay.......................
........ ................
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
December..............

31
52
40
38
40
38
28
54
119
144
130
180

61
59
60
56
59
63
27
86
142
178
153
241

25
27
32
31
35
32
19
50
105
130
122
171

139
123
175
158
172
167
156
287
214
233
182
183

183
223
319
239
209
292
332
248
369
317
248
189

103
93
143
127
133
145
127
144
154
172
124
110

637
651
838
1,003
1,138
1,297
1,149
1,503
1,903
1,893
1,699
2,017

1,178
1,258
1,437
1,560
1,766
1,986
1,894
2,089
2,634
2,430
2,257
2,421

527
556
681
854
963
1,037
907
1,117
1,541
1,485
1,352
1,609

Total.............

874

1,185

779

2,189

3,168

1,575

15,728

22,910

12,629

1916.
January.................
February................
March.....................
April......................
May..............
June.......................
July........................
August...................
September..............
October..................
November..............
December...............

190
161
213
273
274
200
230
148
217
180
178
158

268
204
283
335
303
225
248
174
235
200
196
182

178
156
201
259
261
195
224
144
202
170
152
151

174
179
202
204
202
182
156
157
207
154
162
126

278
228
231
307
222
172
159
174
205
168
167
162

111
92
110
158
138
95
109
112
146
111
117
84

1,940
1,724
2,028
2,613
3,134
2 846
2,881
2,873
3,256
3,500
3,326
2,566

2,596

2,750
3,186
3,621
3,514
3,531
3,365
3,869
4,240
4,017
3,251

1,551
1,368
1,623
2,073
2,488
2,278
2,362
2,250
2,690
2,835
2,739
2,196

Total.............

2,422

2,853

2,293

2,105

2,473

1,383

32,687

40,272

26,453




2; 332

8-6

P U B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES IN T H E U N IT E D STATES.

T a b le

C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.
ILLINOIS: Chicago (1 bureau).
Persons
Persons
Applica­
asked for applying
tions from by
employ­ for work.
employers.
ers.

Year and month.

im .

Januarv
February....................................................
M a rch ................................. ..................
April..........................................................
May............................................................
June...... ........................ ...........................
July............................................................
August.......................................................
September..................................................
October......................................................
November...................................................
December___________________________

20
31
67
58
51
33
47
25
18
23
15
28

97
725
1,624
2,030
930
615
704
912
580
333

416

Offers
of posi­
tions.

Positions
filled.

285

600
350
500
450
300
706
904
900
200
200
100

97
725
1,624
2,030
930
615
704
912
580
333
244
285

165
135
331
232
149
113
74

9,079

5,210

9,079

3,869

Persons applying for
work.
Applica­
Persons
tions from asked for by
employers. employers. New regis­
trations. Renewals.

Offers of
positions.

Total

C1)

244

67
481
912

778
423

(!) Not reported.

IOWA: Des Moines (1 bureau).

Year and month.

Positions
filled.

July, 1915, to June 30,1916___

454

931

1,535

104

650

402

1916.
July.............................. ........
August................. .
September.............................
October............. .....................
November.................... ..........
December...............................

34
31
36
60
, 30
20

105
436
220
317
145
95

54
120
114
136
148
114

12
18
37
19
44
27

40
103
123
138
157
101

11
70
93
69
111
76

26
70

58
123

87
97

25
19

49
103

24
25

1917.
January......... .
February............. .




GEN ERAL TABLES,

87

T a b l e € . — O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S— Continued.
K A N S A S : T o p e k a (1 b u r e a u ).

Month.

1915

1916

Persons
applying
Ap­ Per­
for work.
plica­ sons
Offers Posi­
tions asked
of
tions
from for by
posi­ filled.
em­ New Re­ tions
em­
ploy­ ploy­ regis­ new­
ers.
tra­
ers.
tions. als.

Persons
applying
Per­
Ap­
for work.
plica­ sons
Offers Positions asked
of
from for by
Inns
posi­ filled.
em­ New Re­ tions.
em­
ploy­ ploy­ regis­ new­
tra­
ers.
ers.
tions. als.

January...........
February .......
March..............
April...............
Mav....... ........
June................
July....... ..
August............
September......
October..........
November.......
December........

15
6
10
20
33
26
41
16
15
12
41
72

15
10
10
25
46
34
49
30
16
73
54
72

60
53
58
60
60
95
50
45
12
41
67
132

Total1__

307

434

733

5
4
5
6
7
10
6
8
12
15
14

20
8
10
32
40
50
50
27
18
33
60
72

13
5
7
17
28
28
45
17
13
27
50
65

8
18
21
38
101
31
60
21
32
19
63
10

8
26
21
51
120
61
72
57
35
118
70
14

48
108
• 86
114 .
132
126
£0
68
35
73
98
30

92

420

315

422

653 1,008

6
3

12
30
16
64
135
80
79
51
36
60
76
18

s
17
16
43
111
59
61
36
27
59
64
12

32

657

513

6
1
9
4
3

1Figures do not include thousands who applied for harvest work.

KENTUCKY: Louisville (1 bureau).
1915

Month.

January—
February..
March.......
April.........
May..........
June..........
July..........
August......
September.
October---November..
December..
Total.,




Persons apply­
Persons ing for work.
asked
Offers
for by
of
em­
New
posi­
ploy­ regis­
tions.
Re­
ers.
tra­ newals.
tions.

Persons apply­
Persons ing for work.
asked
Offers
Posi­
by
of
tions for
em­
New
posi­
filled.
ploy­ regis­
tions.
Re­
ers.
tra­ newals,
tions.
164

i 406 i 1,830 i 3,125
92
322
862
129
393
767
102
405
753
109
459
993
492 1,124
140
132
595 1,057
496 1,022
128
484 1,158
123
129
347 1,186

i 278
93
104
85
63
140
186

1,490

1,317

12,047

122

137
109

1200

61
65
51
38
86

109
78
75
60

Posi­
tions
filled.

174
285
479
304
285
389
290
285
238
254

460
317
331
405
381
553
360
350
373
332
323
354

825
802
713
735
717
722
617
590
595
705
677
757

149
114
183
213
329
385
282
280
243
290
258
266

124
177
191
145
145
109
128
93
137

3,259

4,539

8,455

2,992

1,508

112

JDttia are fox February and March.

109

88

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFIGES IK T H E U N ITED STATES.

T a b l e C.— O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S— Continued.

MASSACHUSETTS (4 bureaus).

Year and
month.

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ers.

Per­
Per­
Per­
Appli­ sons
Appli­ sons
sons
cations asked
Offers Posi­ cations asked
Offers Posi­
Posi­
asked Offers
of
from
from
of
of
for by posi­ tions em­ for by posi­ tions em­ for by posi­
tions
em­ tions. filled. ploy­ em­ tions. filled. ploy­ em­ tions. filled.
ploy­
ploy­
ploy­
ers.
ers.
ers.
ers.
ers.
Boston.

1915.
January......
February.. .

March.........
April...........
May..............
June.............
July..............
August____

September..
October......
November..
December...

701
785
1,179
1,327
1,412
1,341
1,218
1,356
1,910
1,683
1,533
1,402

953
1,350
1,534
1,585
1,597
1,361
1,580
2,275
2,116
1,859
1,695

1.332
1,750
2,367
2,646
2,749
2,783
2.333
2,757
3,706
3,443
3,274
2,672

Fall River.

836
1,134
1,276
1,289
1,350
1,084
1,225
1,663
1,675
1,553
1,267

Total___ 15,847 18,714 31,821 15,035

1916.

January........
February.. .

MaFch.........

April............
May..............
June.............
July..............
August........

September..
October......
November..
December...
Total.

1.560
1,462
1,984
2.561
2,999
2,347
2,065
2,280
2,543
2,497
1,891
1,430

1,832
1.782
2,341
2,870
3,455
2,663
2,309
2,561
2.783
2,728
2,153
1,649

3,128
2,914
3,955
3,724
4,818
3,997
3,052
3,617
3,519
3,721
3,389
2,499

1,430
1,366
1,701
1,743
2,184
1,845
1,396
1,645
1,450
1,593
1,500
1,117

78
93
120

107
115
127
75
91

102

101
107
1,116
135
126
127
147

211

138
113

January........
F eb ru a ry ...
March..........
A p ril............
M ay..............
June.............
J uly..............
A ugust........
Septem ber..
October........
N ovem b er..
Decem ber...

January...........
February..........
March................
A p ril..................
M ay...................
June...................
July...................
A ugust..............
Sept em ber........
O ctoler.............
N ovem ber........
December.........

100
94

596
527
558
430
650
809
609
593
620

209
243
547
496
462
484
441
713
884
670
700
624

1,164 1,059

936 6,633

8,026 10,077

6,473

111

821
765
962
1,258
1,537
1,233
1,282
1,788
1,601
1,500
1,193
1,187

1,099
958
1,133
1,460
1,781
1,601
1,598
2,137
1,824
1,673
1,484
1,256

637
727
913
1,128
931
981
1,224
1,135
1,117
899
801

1,363 11,462 15,127 18,004

11,173

«

120

81

111

134
134
133
142

143
148
143
151
237
172
115

200

117
110

129
179
114

101

107
149
132
114

1,740

1,539

516
584
834
1,009
983
937
843
903
1,150
1,041
1,049

108
106
66

146
106

25,619 29,126 142,333 18,970 1,605

304
408
562
717
719
613
608
626
929
804
727
720

100
88

78

93
107
104

116
155
143
130

226
265
477
604
607
535
457
509
752
643
591
594

67
75

Total.
233
306
379
487
501
478
390
450
655
529
502
515

1,256
1,445
2,464
2,634
2,661
2.561
2,180
2,515
3.562
3,037
2,818
2,723

1,468
1,772
2,768
2,986
2,995
2,977
2,581
3,137
4,349
3,818
3,478
3,312

2,279
2,796
4,197
4,527
4,591
4,699
3,940
4,816
6,325
5,575
5,426
4,618

1,192
1,460
2,160
2,347
2,360
2,418
1,981
2,388
3,269
2,959
2,846
2,489

7,737 10,832 5,425 29,856 [96,641 53,789 27,8
793
734
956
1,247
1,219
1,098
975
1,077
1,064
1,005
976

1,041
943
1,191
1,710
1,580
1,408
1,246
1,337
1,419
1,301
1,256
1,127

1,386
1,182
1,483
1,553
1,612
1,410
1,210

1,385
1,443
1,407
1,451
1,242

T otal------ 11,973 15,559 16,764




563
735
779
823
735
639
731
744
713
711
657

3,080
2,900
3,853
4,991
5,677
4,566
4,143
4,542
4,925
4,748
3,976
3,258

251
302

277
353
318
374
724
882
622
773
741
573
635
859
529
683
931 1,156
1,052 1,391
791
993
788 1,003
786

146
188
158

T o t a l . ...

1915.

78
79
114
99
118

136
179
156
137

Worcester.
1915.

78
93
132
113
118

Springfield.

3,837
3,638
4,637
5,989
6,809
5,476
4,952
5,686
5,949
5,717
4,760
4,102

5,747
5,188
6,704
6,879
8,411
7,154
5,966
7,139
6,902
6,956
6,467
5,127

2,916
2,683
3,273
3,564
4,314
3,625
3,117
3,600
3,436
3,572
3,242
2,689

522 50,659 61,552 78,640 40,031

688

592
578
786
1,036
1,248
983
990
1,185
1,182
1,067
953
862

G ENERAL TABLES.
T a b le

C.—O P E R A T IO N S

89

O F P U B L IC E M PLO Y M E N T O F F IC E S — C o n tin u e d .
MICHIGAN (10 bureaus).
Positions filled.

Year and
month.

Battle
Creek.

Bay
Grand Jack­ Kala­
City. Detroit. Flint. Rapids. son. mazoo.

Lan­
sing.

Mus­
kegon.

Sagi­
naw.

Total.

i
1915.
January......
February...
March........
April..........
May...........
June...... .
July........ .
August.......
September
October......
November
December

704
981
2,064
2,841
2,125
1,681
1,496
2,033
3,620
4,608
3,907
2,772

Total.
1916.
January___
February...
March........
April..........
May...........
June...........
July...........
August.......
September..
October__
November..
December..
Total.

79
294
351
361
398
548
509
424

217
257
368
662
607
631
589
588
867
1,138
844
632

349
270
382
494
543
438
415
565
564
786
606
483

175
150
250
318
310
332
391
377
398
453
372
286

535
413
355
787
925
835
695
665
761
990
771
603

1 983
2*071
3419
5’ 102
4’ 589
4* 211
3*937
4*589
6*608
8 523
7*009
5,200

28,832

2,964

7,400

5,895

3,812

8,335

57,238

2,832
3,596
5,189
5,717
6,520
4,815
5,151
4,315
4,680
5,992
5,452
3,175

455
564
559
708
835
798
918
961
778
771
709
748

686
647
813
1,065
1,160
955
994
855
852
872
731
565

461
585
712
834
942
706
793
796
749
794
687
486

362
265
406
451
430
416
464
479
490
415
393
243

142
135
241
258
194
325
197
228
217
246
153
66

199
237
192
178
225
252
204
234
201
205
173
106

572
577
640
741
868
814
861
942
741
790
714
552

5,769
6,785
8,993
10,245
11,462
9,326
9,817
9,079
8,924
10,312
9,276
6,168

1,747 1 1,097 57,434

8,804

10,195

8,545

4,814

2,402

2,306

160
155
161
193
198
108
126
171
135
143
93
104

24
80
100
90
137
109
98
81
84
171
123

8,812 106,156

i Office opened Jan. 15, 1913.

MINNESOTA (3 bureaus).
Positions filled.
1915

Month.
Duluth.

Minne­
apolis.

1916
St. Paul.

Duluth.

Minne­
apolis.

St. Paul.

June........................................
July........................................
August....................................
September..............................
October...................................
November...............................
December...............................

453
389
408
686
715
760
800
879
1,029
1,162
1,247
618

903
' 876
1,156
2,406
1,691
1,417
1,509
1,980
2,36£
2,625
1,920
1,211

415
409
571
1,235
913
719
833
1,158
1,188
1,492
1,175
756

772
485
650
976
1,937
1,636
1,203
1,498
1,241
1,379
1,181
1,105

1,041
1,266
1,251
2,245
3,102
2,040
2,099
2,307
2,060
2,573
1,951
1,951

896
715
708
1,394
1,966
1,292
1,351
1,609
1,246
1,586
1,118
1,118

Total.............................

9,146

20,063

10,864

14,063

23,886

14,999

January...................................
February................................
March.....................................
April.......................................




90

PU B LIC E M P L O Y M E N T OFFICES I K T H E U N ITED STATES.

Table

C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued*
MONTANA: Butte (1 bureau).
1916

1915
Month.

Applica­ Persons
Persons
apply­
referred Positions tions
filled. from em­ ing for
to posi­
work.
tions.
ployers.

Applica­ Persons
tions
apply­
from em­ ing for
ployers.
work.

Persons
referred Positions
to posi­
filled.
tions.

January....................
February..................
March.......................
April.........................
May..........................
June.........................
July..........................
August......................
September...............
October.....................
November.................
December.................

124
156
136
200
231
293
242
437
250
558
489
405

195
315
359
220
283
400
500
700
513
550
300
685

153
280
146
220
360
509
495
470
300
560
380
405

120
154
130
494
203
241
272
429
282
345
360
330

407
367
383
404
466
466
300
500
300
606
300
373

518
626
660
548
510
350
450
650
560
640
380
485

380
530
395
194
481
481
460
490
340
400
400
385

350
338
357
371
390
556
350
460
298
394
390
283

Total...............

3,521

5,020

4,278

3,360

4,872

6,377

4,936

4,537

NEW YORK (5 bureaus).

Year and
month.

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ees.

Persons ap­
Persons ap­
plying for
plying for
Per­
Per­
Appli­ sons
work.
work.
sons
Offers
cations
Offers! Posi­
Posi­ from asked
asked
of
of
tions
for by
for
by
tions
posi­ filled. em­
posi­ filled.
em­ New
em­
New
ploy­
tions.
Re­
tions.
Re­
ploy­ regis- new­
ploy­
regis­
ers.
tra- !
ers.
ers.
tra­ new­
tions. | als.
tions. als.
Albany.

Brooklyn.

Year beginning
Apr. 1,1915.
..........
April
May................
June........ .
July.................
August............
September.......
October...........
November.......
December........
January .....
February.........
March..............
Total

14
136
216
217
220
246
282
273
278
294
260
370

19
190
253
363
329
336
355
374
416

311
£38

125
697
765
6
780
165
164
664
198
605
666 • 220
681
253
229
547
612
280
394
265
539
367

2,806 3,906

7,075 2,147

422

11
203
424
479
451
477
579
647
571
614
446
630

4
432
78
372
171
456
299
394
228
479
258
663
265
774
287
707
312
782
304
886
208
942
333 1,352

5,532 2,747

775
626
804
566
778
1,149
1,356
1,25*
1,410
1,489
1,563
2,186

1,714
1,715
2,129
1,610
1,450
1,935
1,668
1,420
1,337
1,530
1,447
1,619

705
752
813
594
658
669
593
552
502
564
428
500

909
860
1,178
903
1,097
1,449
1,739
1,452
1,506
1,683
1,659
2,129

559
404
486
418
494
691
723
635
787
828
902
1,142

8,239 13,956 19,574 7,330 16,564

8,069

Year beginning
Apr. 1,1916.
April............
May..............
June................
July.................
August.............
September.......
October...........
November.......
December........
January...........
February.........
March..............
Total

507
607
526
545
533
597
570
511
413
472
407
596

m

812
692
770
764
864
838
687
565
793
501
743

464
539
491
452
487
536
600
551
415
521
415
480

6,284 8,678 5,951




250
261
202
176
171
277
272
278
285
334
326
340

638
755
660
651
696
790
939
816
734
823
645
786

312
404
373
384
407
435
516
449
424
468
368
405

1,422
1,581
1,467
1,287
1,311
1,335
1,757
1,722
1,381
1,763
1,355
1,538

2,126
2, 585
2,140
1,863
1,890
1,911
2,495
2,388
1 895
2 565
1^728
2,061

1,456
2,002
1,756
1,166
1,116
1,081
1,325
1,181
946
1,436
yoo
1,256

3,172 8,933 4,945 17,919 25,647 15,689

349
502
411
475
548
504
598
577
507
C>7Q
o/y
A
Q
OQ
oo

2,093
2,663
2,276
1,984
2,110
2,025
2,694
2,522
2,049
2, 725
1,806
2,271

1,164
1,580
1,375
1,085
1,230
1,185
1,601
1,477
1,296
1,624
1,174
1,401

6,409 27,218

16,192

G EN EEAL TABLES.
T a b le

91

OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.
NEW YORK (5 bureaus)—CoiHiluded.

Year and
month.

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ers.

Persons ap­
Persons ap­
Per­
Per­
plying for
plying for
Appli­ sons
sons
work.
work.
cations
Offers
Offers Posi­
Posi­ from asked
asked
of
of
tions em­ for by New
tions
for by New
posi­ filled.
posi­
Re­
em­ regis­ Re­ tions. filled. ploy em­ registions.
new­
ploy­
ploy­ tra­ new­
tiaers.
als.
ers. tions.
ers. tions. als.
Buffalo.

Rochester,

Year begimmg
A pr. 1, 1915.

April ___. . . .
May.............
June.............
July.................
August............
September.......
October...........
November......
December........
January...........
February.........
March .........

238
288
317
364
447
531
756
478
29
568
540
672

485
359
467
529
621
757
756
710
710
778
779
893

1,175
1,325
1,399
1,304
1,009
754
682
686
679
754
646
635

113
111
123
261
342
192
193
264
219
333
3f>1
304

469
468
542
608
646
778
784
826
836
829
855
899

171
248
346
398
422
569
508
£03
539
531
520
602

Total...... 5,228 7,844 11,048 2,812 8,540 5,357

508
377
441
461
550
822
832
649
562
622
644
985

576
905
572
823
676 1,076
889
745
817
837
1,806 1,093
816
1,477
626
986
644
894
1 954
692
959
619
809
1,488

664
532
707
964
844
1,371
1,373
932
989
990
1,005
1,440

275
254
329
440
503
918
936
551
604
541
439
818

7,453 11,950 9,829 2,135 11,811

6,608

142
136
128
148
164
72
128
269
282
381
285
*

Year beginning
A pr. 1, 1916.

April...............
May.................
June................
July.................
August............
September.......
October...........
November.......
December........
January...........
February.........
March..............
Total

909
973
1,026
836
960
982
1,067
981
923
983
815
1,276
11,731

1,152
1,215
1,869
1,564
1,757
1,966
2,118
2,345
1,922
1,779
1,795
1,801
21,283

466
?51
??3
474
132
1,105
61
917
1,120
67
72
1,264
104
1,605
1,599
125
1,459
89
1,478
98
1,284
165
1,332
142
14,103 1,519

1,029
1,148
1,514
1,402
1,659
1,831
2,118
2,096
1,882
1,934
1,571
1,874
|20,058

673
758
1,139
1,052
1,222
1,421
2,134
1,472
1,428
1,390
1,131
1,391
15,211

1,204
1,373
1,118
1,079
1,113
1,058
1,608
1,295
1,062
1,250
1,078
1,739
14,977

808
'11,814
280
819
2,073
274
900
1,740
231
1,860
717
114
1,602
794
317
343
1,681
890
343
2,262
945
792
1,747
335
1,744
815
373
720
1,828
936
709
363
1,582
2,381
917
633
{22,314 10,042 4,326

Syracuse.

1,473
751
1,587
806
1,511
820
1,335
663
1, 5.56
873
1, 550
980
1,896 1,183
1,617
922
1,548
870
1,658
842
793
1,397
JL, 942 1,037
19,070 10,640

Total.

Year beginning
A pr. 1, 1915.

749
556
April................
532
717
mW ............
582
989
June...............
561
845
July................
768
August.............
548
740
September.......
553
October...........
621
964
664
November___.'
428
572
443
December........
January...........
467
594
February........
477
624
March..............
836
657
Total
6,425 9,062

1,748
1,705
2,012
1,997
2,244
2,815
3,265
2,535
2,094
2,837
2,863
4,036
30,151

2,604
2,464
3,189
3,048
3,313
4,788
4,608
3,988
4,002
4,237
4,236
5,941
46,718

4,871
890 2,803
5,523 1,116 2,843
6,584 1,218 3,916
5,691 1,225 3,898
5,013 1,402 3,953
5,228 1,331 4,918
4,663 1,143 5,444
4,060 1,348 4,650
3,708 1,366 4,498
4,157 1,614 4,701
3,599 1,554 4,586
4,178 1,563 5,937
57,275 15,770 52,147

996
716 4,935
1,193
931 5,621
826
619 4,912
616
501 4,301
834
647 4,700
1,146
734 5,010
1,029
790 5,928
1,152
905 5,327
1,085
745 4,568
1,204
818 5,421
1,172
766 4,525
1,636 1,091 6,518
12,869 9,263 61,766

6,834
7,984
7,355
6,760
6,918
7, 842
9,006
8,373
7,332
8,306
6,866
8! 885
92,461

3,793
4,474
4,765
3,651
4,031
4,484
5,054
4,816
4,307
5,264
4,103
4,876
53,618

750
952
72
373
963
111
780
389
1,215
140 1,065
532
1,108
77
944
540
1,053
90
915
523
841
108
843
594
969
831
65
671
151
647
793
573
501
147
596
442
569
155
585
478
123
493
621
460
107
839
576
592
9,749 1,346 9,700 6,167

1,382
1,373
1,864
2,095
2,170
3,030
3,103
2,549
2,684
2,682
2,529
3,487
28,948

Year beginning
Apr. 1,1916.

April................
893
May................. 1,087
June................
775
July.................
554
August............
783
September....... 1,038
October...........
926
November.......
818
December........
789
January...........
953
February.........
870
March.............. 1,369
Total
10,855




1,093
599
102
1,299
640
131
914
513
44
703
399
56
905
514
119
1,420
713
145
1,293.
579
123
1,206
693
133
1,206
672
96
1,341
893
227
1,260
727
260
1,899
891
320
14,539 7,833 1,756

1,232
1,391
1,010
882
1,222
1,341
1,440
1,448
1,350
2,050
1,693
2,123
17,182

6,229 3,616
7,346 4,479
6,787 4,326
5,988 3,685
6,855 4,379
7,342 4,755
8,676 6,224
8,203 5,225
7,278 4,763
8,344 5,242
6,591 4,232
8,509 5,325
88,148 56,251

92

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

T a b l e C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.

NEW YORK CITY (1 bureau).
1915
Month.

1916

Appli­ Persons New
Appli­ Persons New
cations asked regis­
Offers Posi­ cations asked regis­
Offers Posi­
from for by
of posi­ tions
from for by
posi­ tions
tra­
tra­ of
employ­ employ­ tions. tions. filled. employ­'-(employ- tions.
tions. filled.
ers.
ers.
ers.
ers.

January__
February..
March........
April.........
M ay.*......
June..........
July...........
August......
September.
October__
November.
December..

367
300
360
317
288
303
273
406
700
830
751
757

Total.

5,652

3,059
2,645
1,861
1,678
2,046
2,457
1,756
1,996
2,509
2,172
1,676

1,030
1,214
1,233
717
709
829
741
1,035
1,665
1,864
1,229
1,188

404
536
402
299
287
422
255
440
715
744
915
737

168 29,867

13,454

6,156

527
648
1,168
379
358
465
331
553
944
977
915
903

6,012

1,510
1,467
2,279
2,248
2,562
2,335
1,944
2,188
2,167
2,977
2,820
2,375

1,592
1,639
2,502
2,509
2,985

2,234
2,139
2,761
2,988
3,843
3,367
3,048
3,729
3,486
4,311
4,197
3,558

1,283
1,356
1,926
1,871
2,373
2,176
1,800
1,985
2,053
2,138
2,546
2,340

26,872 30,276 26,269 39,661

23,847

2,666

2,157
2,476
2,530
3,304
3,166
2,750

1,999
1,805
2,316
2,094
2,228
2,332
2,188
2,491
2,163
2,528
2,269
1,856

N E W Y O R K C IT Y : O perations, by in dustry, 1 0 1 6 (1 bureau).
Manu­
Domes­ factur­
Trade
tic and ing and Profes­ and
Agri­ Build­
All
ing
per­
sional
trans­ others.
Total
culture. trades. sonal mechan­ service. porta­
ical
in­
serviee. dustries.
tion.
Applications from employers.............
Persons applied for by employers:
Males...........................................
Females.......................................

C1)
204

0)
626

0)
2,035
14,014

9
11

0)
4,550
2,154

0)
3,653
21

26,872

2,249
750

C1)

0)

13,326
16,950

Total............ ...........................

204

626

16,049

2,999

20

6,704

3,674

30,276

New registrations:
Males...........................................
Females....... ..............................

267

1,029

2,356
3,730

3,422
589

99
61

5,982
4,510

4,199
25

17,354
8,915

160 10,492

4,224

26,269

Total........................................

267

1,029

6,086

4,011

Offers of positions to—
Males...........................................
Females.......................................

274

1,190

3,288
13,764

3,835
1,026

8
16

6,861
3,528

5,835
36

21,291
18,370

1,190 17,052

4,861

24 10,389

5,871

39,661

Total........................................

274

Positions reported filled by—
Males...........................................
.................... ..................
Females

153

633

1,616
10,921

1,934
626

6
7

3,256
1,859

2,813
23

10,411
13,436

Total.......................................

153

633 12,537

2,560

13

5,115

2,836

23,847




1 Not reported.

GENERAL TABLES.
T a b le

93

C.— OPERATIONS OP PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES-Continued.

OHIO (7 bureaus).

Year and month.

Persons apply­
Persons apply­
ing for work.
ing for work.
Persons
Persons
Offers Posi­ asked
asked
Offers Posiof posi­ tions for by New
for by New
of posi- tions
em­
em­
tions. filled.
tions. filled.
Re­
regis­
regis­
Re­
ployers. tra­ newals,
ployers. tra­ newals.
tions.
tions.
Akron.

1915.
January........
February....
March...........
April............
May..............
June.............
July..............
August.........
September...
October........
November...
December....
Total..,

Cincinnati.

2,548
1,871
1,596
1,777
2,130
1,797
1,491
2,079
2,268

748
677
641
759
1,363
1,649
1,452
1,488
1,100

593
495
440
541
1,119
1,314
1,216
1,156
890

10,445 10,199 17,557

9,877

7,764

813
616
594
753
1,460
1,803
1,658
1,569
1,179

1,359
948
1,084
1,167
1,282
1,388
1,001

1,134
836

1916.
January........
February....
March...........
April............
May..............
June*.............
July..............
August.........
September...
October......
November...
December....

1,481
1,309
1,789
1,905
2,174
1,923
1,951
1,764
1,853
2,063
2,305
1,674

949
619
586
556
708
789
627
756
772
780
906
717

TotaL.,

22,191

8,765

1,767
1,662
1,445
1,226
1,435
1,640
1,314
1,298
1,269
1,401
1,621
1,636

1,276
1,149
1,360
1,384
1,670
1,690
1.573
1,623
1.574
1,629
1,783
1,411

938
880

3,347
2,724
1,009
942
858
714
938
1,297
1,487
1,346
1.303
1,112

Total..

1916.
January........
February----March.........
April............
May.............
June.............
July..............
August.........
September...
October........
November...
December__
Total...




4,549
4,398
3,832
4,477
3,631
3,523
3,752
4,449
6,986
7,161
6,127
5,231

8,587
3,241
3,265
2,347
2,431
2,888
3,128
2,958
2,964
2,448
3,129
3,448

1,289
1,288
2,286
2,410
2,238
1,660
1,564
1,672
1,840
1,819
1,722
1,621

2,026
2,006
1,984
2,208
2,940
3,132
2,809
2,769
'2,344
2,961
2,665
2,306

1,797
1,614
1,790
1,695
1,483
1,257

4,500
4,488
4,130
2,933
2,687
2,707
2,509
2,882
2,434
2,382
2,247
2,589

3,315
2,818
1,066
1,116
977
849
1,146
1,570
1,589
1,407
1,444
1,041
18,3
1,262
1,274

3,101
2,433
761
712
698
591
779
1.154
1,339
1.154
1,138
780
14,640

2,061
1,997
1,515
1,387
1,665
1,743
1,983
1,980
1,670

887
776
1,356
1,312
1,273
923
932
989
952
1,078
1,277
1,118

17,714 18,122 14,981 21,409 18,228 36,488 20,557

12,873

1,110

1,141
1,394
1,383
1,314
1,405
1,359
1,382
1,491
1,184

12,064
13,179
12,711
10,840
6,337
6,696
6,505
7,816
6,311
5,990
6,905
6,569

<,328
8,166
7,819
7,079
8,262
8,023
6,661
7,296
6,744
7,571
7,249
6,840

1,221

1,424
1,817
1,342
1,612
1,676

2,020

Columbus.
4,536
4,428
3,715
4,182
3,405
3,321
3,659
4,097
5,165
5,144
4,857
3,940

3,922
4,090
3,273
3,626
2,950
2,608
2,897
3,421
4,373
4,311
4,138
3,277

738
1,703
1,947
1,649
1,201
1,099
1,144
1,401
1,951
2,050
2,004
1,476

58,116 39,834 101,923 50,449 42,886 18,363
5,493
6,267
7,209
9,258
10,904
9,095
7,297
8,321
7,928
8,184
6,791
6,815

1,888

1,836
1,583
2,146
2,106
2,130
1,678
1,704

17,077 23,798 61,067

Cleveland.
1915.
January........
February___
M^rch...........
April............
May..............
June.............
July..............
August..........
September...
October........
November...
December....

9,532
8,449
6,676
4,762
5,170
4,702
4,043
3,812
3,296
3,645
3,504
3,476

3,739
2,070
1,387
1,531

4,202
4,485
5,151
6,651
8,462
7,588
6,335
7,181
6,694
7,232
6,259
5,780

3,339
3,484
4,377
5,511
7,158
6,128
5,202
5,858
5,374
5,969
5; 104
4,536

1,457
1,474
2,223
2,819
2,956
2,358
2,826
2,565
2,612
2,673
2,275
1,854

93,562 30,150 89,538 76,020 62,040 .28,092

1,249
993
758
744
739
867
801
833
977
911
1,148
802

680'
1,724
1,989
1,544
1,153
1,076
1,127
1,366
1,900
1,978
1,941
1,447

614
1,425
1,751
1,384
1,045
941
1,011
1,198
1,673
1,708
1,551
1,227

10,822 37,644 17,925

15,528

743
777
900
745
727
701
892
813
924
896
724
578

3^854
4,604
4,695
3,474
3,393
2,975
2,616
2,485
2,354
2,073
2,424
2,697

2,629
2,506
2,601
2,297
2,447
2,138
1,892
2,238
2,050
2,590
2,446
2,170

1,371
1,465
2,128
2,437
2,670
2,053
2,227
2,320
2,155
2,290
2,114
1,769

1,147
1,129
1,604
2,011
2,122
1,661
1.827
1,919
1,839
. 1,872
1,763
1,516

9,420 .28,004 24,999

20,410

94

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

T able

C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES-Continued.
OHIO (7 bureaus)—Concluded.

Year and month.

Persons apply­
Persons apply­
ing for work.
ing for work.
Persons
Persons
Offers Posi­
Offers Posi­ asked
asked
for by New
of posi­ tions for by New
of posi­ tions
em­
filled.
em­
tions.
tions. filled.
Re­
Re­
ployers. regis­
ployers. regis­
trar newals.
tra­ newals.
tions.
tions.
Dayton.

1915.
February................
March....... .............
April.......................
May........................
June................ .
July........................
August....................
October...................
November...............
................
Total.............
1916.
January.
T.
February................
March....... .............
April.......................
May........................
June........ ..............
July........................
August___ . . . . . . __
September..............
October........
November...............
................
Total.............

460
501
399
414
525
465
716
728
649
917
619
836
718
577
761
805
921
1,189
960
1,182
1,073
927
946 December
721
9,123

8,886

825
992
959
684
1,235
518
1,258
717
702
1,595
692
1,104
1,069
677
1,288
771
670
1,182
640
i, 138
753
1,013
677
914 December
13,747

8,326

Toledo.

329
311
396
603
504
529
507
598
925
972
902
754

374
619
771
1,050
1,414
1,380
2,205
1,987
4,001
3,951
2,621
1,887

1,887
1j 678
1,908
1,963
2,374
2,015
1,710
1,663
1,?86
1,302
1,460
1,352

405
395
548
683
619
600
541
615
984
1,093
985
823

20,598

8,291

7,330 22,260

1,422
1,209
1,214
1,195
1,110
1,068
1,032
1,120
1,006
905
991
1,069

779
769
1,013
1,041
1,298
955
914
1,041
9Q8
910
914
849

730
719
845
893
1,144
836
817
946
822
813
814
751

13,341

11,391

1,786
2,559
3,008
3,764
4,532
3,366
5,118
4,484
4,338
4,898
3,197
1,990

832
1,507
1,115
1,237
1,029
1,469
2,214
1,582
2,797
1,898
1,753
1,402

748
2,150
2,749
2,605
1,989
2,651
3,802
2,093
1,202
2,185
2,642
2,849

359
591
709
939
983
1,271
1,878
1,825
3,360
2,921
2,409
1,871

336
549
672
898
968
1,261
1,793
1,698
3,068
2,685
2,217
1,652

18,835 27,665 19,116

17,797

1,252
1,029
1,227
1,103
1.423
1,370
1,386
1,401
1,362
1,762
1,542
1,286

2,350
2,291
2,267
2,118
2,442
1,934
1,747
2,162
1,754
2,570
2,491
2,354

1,602
2,076
2.414
2,516
2,840
2.414
2,438
2,676
2,431
3,093
2,567
1,804

1,199
1,544
1,999
2,176
2,443
2,075
2,068
2,267
2,016
2,640
2,192
1,486

10,130 43,040 16,143 26,480

28,871

24,105

9,295
9,956
8,027
9,764
8,410
8,397
9,790
11,490
15,708
14,999
14,439
11,265

8,302
8, SOS
6,853
8,293
7,153
6,868
8,134
9,782
13,555
12,927
12,150
9,395

Y oungstown.

Total.

1915.
January...............
February. . . . . . . . . . .
March. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A p r i l.................
May........................
June........................
July........................
August....................
September.......
October........... .
November...............
December................

573
555
599
777
635
1.107
1,446
1,433
1,375

1,070
651
641
684
728
878
929
812
771

1,695
1,348
906
772
773
927
1,028
1,154
1,388

552
596
639
680
654
1,061
1,004
1,315
1,043

477
493
498
606
594
863
881
1,048
815

Total.............

8,500

7,164

9,991

7,544

6,275 143,884 119,538 276,445 131,540 112,220

1916.
January...................
February....... .
March..........
April.......................
Mav............ .
June................... .
July............ .
August....... .
September........
October.............
November.............
December................

1,073
973
1,115
1,267
1,356
1,279
1,240
1,507
1,185
1,198
1,160
1,005

663
720
816
648
715
711
685
761
584
625
612
601

1,041
960
1,191
918
1,240
1,208
1,034
1,145
1,052
1,089
1,030
740

984
972
1,170
1,112
1,341
1,201
1,183
1,360
1,141
1,123
1,104
968

756
765
908
974
1,221
1,044
1,051
1,127
957
971
944
843

Total.............. 14,358

8,141

13,648




9,468
9,858
8,084
10,232
8,924
8,528
10,146
11,990
18,524
18,794
16,130
13,206

13,571
14,829
18,865
22,681
25,755
20,785
21,065
21,601
20,938
21,973
18,463
15,873

14,908
8,210
6,990
9,004
8,603
9,621
10,295
10,334
12,031
10,277
10,581
8,684

8,255
7,449
7,821
7,672
8,698
8,652
8,297
-8,695
7,973
9,006
8,814
7,841

28,085
30,060
28,739
27,887
22,482
21,541
21,225
20,772
17,173
17,714
20,168
20,599

21,537
21,282
20,667
17,766
19,623
18,718
16,189
18,141
16,309
18,508
18,075
17,398

11,476
12,190
15,256
17,202
20,278
17,416
16,057
17,866
16,646
18,260
16,721
14,251

8,996
9,291
12,19&
14,018
16,755
14,050
13,211
14,511
13,319
14,725
13,585
11,434

13,659 11,561 236,399 99,173 224,213 193,619 156,100

GENERAL TABLES.

95

T a ble C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Continued.

OKLAHOMA (4 bureaus).
Positions filled.
1918

1915

Month.
Enid.

Mus­
kogee.

Okla­
homa
City.

Tulsa. Total.

January..................
February. . . . _____
March......................
April .....................
May . . . . . . . . . . . .
June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July.......................
August............... .
September..............
October...................
November...............
December................

39
57
51
83
92
37
168
192
238
97
no
68

91
64
60
74
90
154
149
121
122
158
187
143

38
56
211
144
154
203
325
336
287
348
257
196

102
140
209
222
298
209

168
177
322
301
336
394
744
789
856
825
852
616

Total..............

1,232

1,413

2,555

1,180

6,380

Mus­
kogee.

Okla­
homa
City.

58
64
237
99
123
804
272
100
109
156
79
78

212
167
150
170
156
262
178
191
153
231
224
211

158
166
£20
247
293
769
436
443
451
592
428
289

261
211
320
246
928
767
693
658
809
772
667

689
60S
927
762
1,137
2\763
1,653
1,427
1,371
1,788
1,503
1,245

2,179

2,305

4,492

6,897

15,873

Enid.

Tulsa.

Total.

P E N N S Y L V A N IA (5 b u re a u s ).

Year and month.

Persons apply­
Persons apply­
Persons ing for work.
Persons ing for work.
Offers Posi­ asked
asked
Offers Posi­
for by
of posi­ tions for by
of posi­ tions
filled.
New
em­
em­
tions.
New
tions. filled.
Re­
Re­
ployers. registra­ newals.
ployers. registra­ newals.
tions.
tions.
Altoona.

Harrisburg.

November and De­
cember, 1915........

1,728

321

1916.
January...................
February................
March......................
April.......................
I£ay.........................
June................... ....
July.........................
August....................
September..............
October...................
November....... .......
December...............

213
233
172
238
537
52
67
83
142

103
154
59
47
54
62
16
30
47

188
176
316
146

Total..............

1,737

1917.
January...................
February................

248
229




283

233

425
159
230
216
240
300
238

21
11
118
46
22
64
72
112
94
77
101
79

137
304
336
286
249
447
191
207
226
222
302
198

64
228
221
246
23S
446
181
188
176
192
255
169

1
6
2
6

67
91
37
37
24
35
26
21
79

53
89
37
32
24
28
25
21
69

372
131
320
436
1,635
999
465
795
356
437
494
254

572

15

417

378

6,694

3,009

817

3,105

2,598

93
35

26
33

101
54

97
50

1,123
375

330
207

137
95

313
268

268
223

Sio

96

PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

T a b le C.— OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES— Continued.

PENNSYLVANIA (5 bureaus)—Concluded.

Year and month.

Persons apply­
Persons apply­
Persons ing for work.
Persons ing for work.
asked
Offers Posi­ asked
Offers Posi­
for by
of posi­ tions
of posi­ tions for by
Re­
Re­
New
em­
tions. filled.
em­
tions. filled.
New
ployers. registra­ newals.
ployers. registra­ newals.
tions.
tions.
Philadelphia.

Johnstown.
November and De­
cember, 1915.........

129

226

1916.
January...................
February................
March......................
April.......................
May........................
June........................
July........................
August....................
September..............
October...................
November...............
December...............

40
53
264
306
246
204
226
185
178
180
352
214

102
59
82
117
75
54
41
74
57
50
71
71

Total..............

2,448

1917.
January...................
February................

171
177

121

74

1,390

2,843

79
7
10
15
16
14
10
23
24

68
44
66
101
55
57
49
67
63
55
80
81

33
31
42
44
42
46
45
54
47
46
67
70

481
777
647
438
698
458
591
797
1,158
1,186
1,327
881

1,277
442
761
709
889
719
787
650
635
806
933
600

853

217

786

567

9,439

66
74

19
25

73
78

59
64

1,838
1,173

2

17

559

423

190
314
350
119
243
257
199
481
815
511
792
539

466
446
589
366
541
536
551
820
1,123
1,121
1,393
958

267
311
391
243
309
290
507
713
996
946
1,153
774

9,208

4,810

8,910

6,900

1,040
726

968
610

1,655
1,132

1,438
953

963

730

671
794
1,699
1,315
1,413
1,950
1,390
1,703
1,975
1,968
2,550
1,858

364
570
1,322
1,041
1,114
1,619
1,277
1,508
1,730
1,688
2,199
1,590

7,178- 19,286

16,022

Pittsburgh.

TotaL

November and De­
cember, 1915.........
1916.
January................
February...............
March.................... .
April.......................
May.........................
June........................
July.........................
August....................
September..............
October...................
November..............
December................

2,959
1,488
1,114
1,516
2,233
1,373
765
789
1,239
1,052

1,170
612
727
1,163
749
738
692
700
741
513

37
11
138
99
168
180
137
143
200
206

708
495
477
873
562
585
528
544
754
542

Total.............. 14,528

7,805

1,319

6,068

710
536

235
214

687
459

1917.
January...................
February................




883
606

668
455
436
806
512
529
483
479
703
508

3,247

3,390

893
961
4,190
2,881
3,926
3,349
3,753
3,687
2,509
2,659
3,495
2,543

1,567
677
2,329
1,687
2,220
2,420
1,783
1,746
1,662
1,812
2,075
1,469

5,579 34,846 21,447
633
499

4,263
2,560

2,239
1,578

213
325
522
255
410
430
454
789
1,061
747
1,118
854

1,385
977

2,829
1,991

2,495
1,789

GENERAL TABLES.
T a b le

97

C.— OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES— Continued.

R H O D E IS L A N D : P ro v id e n c e (1 b u re a u ).
1916

1915

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ers.

Month.

Persons
Per­
Per­ applying for
Appli­ sons
work.
sons
Offers Posi­ cations asked
asked
of
for by
by
tions from
em­ lor
posi­ filled.
em­
em­ New Re­ tions.
ploy­ ploy­
ploy­ regis­ new­
ers.
tra­
ers.
ers.
tions. als.
184
130
133
134
198
194
98
159
160
117
35
26

0)
(*>
?>
C1)
0)
0)
( l)
(l)
(l)
0)
0)
C1)

0)
0)
0)
C1)
C1)
C1)
0)
C1)
C1)

Total.... 3,764 5,660 5,743 1,568

0)

0

January...........
February........
March.............
April...............
May................
June................
July................
August............
Serjtember .. .
October...........
November.......
December........

313
180
396
525
456
346
267
302
324
264
210
181

498 1,704
870 1,080
578
691
404
594
624
292
520
271
317
232
204
375
209
383
334
240
169
245
360
209

h

C1)

209
210
258
359
407
311
321
269
274
256
177
120

274
249
268
456
491
359
311
324
313
279
208
129

Persons
applying for
work.
New Re­
regis­ new­
tra­
tions. als.
163
129
196
294
337
246
194
136
153
141
30
51

Offers Posi­
of
posi­ tions
tions. filled.

116
124
150
283
206
236
118
248
203
95
13
34

(L>
C1)
C1)
0)
(*>
0)
0)
0)
C1)

0)
0)
(1)
0)

h)

0)

3,171 3,661 2,070 1,826

c1)

C1)

C1)

(0
0)
0)
0)
0)

(l)

C1)

i Figures same as under "Persons asked for by employers.”

T E X A S : F o r t W o rth (1 b u re a u ).
1915

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ers.

Month.

Persons
Persohs
Per­ applying for
Per­ applying for
Appli­ sons
work.
work.
sons
Offers Posi­ cations asked
Offers Posi­
asked
of
from for by
of
for by
tions
tions
posi­ filled. em­
posi­ filled.
New
em­
em­ New Re­ tions.
ploy­
Re­
tions.
ploy­ regis­ new­
ploy­
regis­
ers.
tra­
tra­ new­
ers.
ers.
tions. als.
tions. als.
1,340
752
1,088
84^
876
974
506
422
1,311
566
552
2,288

0)
C1)
C1)
C1)

. 1,390 2,819 11,519

0)

January...........
February........
March.............
April...............
May................
June................
July................
August............
September......
October...........
November.......
December........
Total

1916

102
55
103
74
86
123
80
115
173
132
218
129

151
71
138
89
103
522
259
201
580
287
251
167

C1)
0)

h

<*)
0)
0)
C1)

44291°—B ull. 241—18------ 7




160
79
146
94
112
654
275
220
740
305
266
162

145
68
133
85
99
406
199
189
405
269
236
151

106
100
160
82
156
177
121
187
227
149
124
225

3,213 2,385 1,814
iNot reported.

158
152
217
115
333
637
373
616
834
417
284
326

0)
211
239
127
264
372
330
475
442
0)
219
645

4,462 3,324

160
158
201
93
217
341
315
381
427
299
196
209

155
149
185
88
210
332
307
363
400
283
190
203

510 2,997

2,865

0)
100
63
63
69
55
47
27
27
C1)
26
27

98

PUBLIC EM PLOYMENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

T a b le C .— OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES— Continued.

V IR G IN IA : R ic h m o n d (1 b u re a u ).
1915

Month.

Appli­
cations
from
em­
ploy­
ers.

1916

Appli­ Persons
Persons
asked New Offers Posi­ cations asked New Offers Posi­
for by regis­ of
from for by regis­ of posi­ tions
posi­ tions
em­
em­
em­
tra­
tra­
ploy­ tions. tions. filled. ploy­ ploy­ tions. tions. filled.
ers.
ers.
ers.

January...................
February................
March.:...................
April.......................
May........................
June........................
July........................
August....................
September...............
October...................
November...............
December................

89
118
113
113
136
146
218
288
253
204
231

392
505
240
227
237
254
355
558
514
352
643

899
851
673
665
659
550
526
615
671
571
542

325
454
296
316
238
269
367
393
468
354
362

i79
333
254
184
166
158
202
181
181
166
175

Total..............

1,909

4,277

7,222

3,842

2,179

228
227
237
198
234
210
288
263 ‘
293
270
283
223
2,954

364
306
380
359
499
542
691
547
485
403
433
335

686
519
555
572
764
851
711
564
463
434
365
241

393
343
489
387
581
729
795
658
555
535
524
403

157
120
171
159
381
320
396
280
231
225
214
192

5,344

6,725

6,392

2,846

Classification of positions filled.
White.
Year and month.

Total
(white
Domes­
Domes­
Skilled.
and
Pro­ Clerks. Skilled. Un­
tics.
tics.
Un­
col­
fes­
skill­
skill­
Total,
Total. ored).
sions,
ed,
ed,
male. M. F. M. F male. M. F
M. F. male. M. F.
81

1916.
January.......
February__
March..........
April.......... .
May.............
June........... .
July.............
August....... .
September..,
October...... .
November...
December—
Total.




Colored.

461 12 25 1,560
105
71
87
99
143
140
162
129
140
132
133
107
265 16 37 1,448 64

1February to December, inclusive.

2,179

22

5 121
13 , 21
12 !i 13
44
! 20
31
211

139
177
74
20

35
26
34
825 231 276

52
49
84
60
238
180
234
151
91
93
81
85

157

120

171
159
381
320
396
280
231
225
214
192
2,846

99

GENERAL TABLES.

Table C.—OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES— Continued.
WASHINGTON (4 bureaus).
Seattle.

Year and month.

1915.
January...................
February .............
March......................
April........................
May.........................
June........................
July.........................
August....................
September...............
October...................
November................
December................

Spokane.

Ever­ Ap- Per­
Ap­ Per­
ett:
sons Offers
plica­ sons
Posi­ plica­ asked
Posi­ tions asked Offers
tions tions
of
of Posi­
for by posi­ tions from for by posi­
tions
filled. from
em­ em­ tions.
filled. em­ em­ tions. filled.
ploy­ ploy­
ploy­ ploy­
ers. ers.
ers. ers.

76
54
0)
172
(*)
148
212
173
199
231
118
101

2,950
2,083
2,433
1,914
1,615
1,432

3,198
2,532
2,766
2,332
1,992
2,043

3,403 2,936
2,609I 2,238
3.120 2.640
2.472 2.121
2,195 1,836
2,124 1,858

Tacoma.
Ap­ Per­
plica­ sons Offers
tions asked of Posi­
from for by posi­ tions
em­ em­
filled.
ploy­ ploy­ tions.
ers. ers.

635 593 232 308 318 308
745 570 234 283 289 283
1,011 804 342 445 451 445
885 803 176 228 229 228
732 662 261 395 399 395
718 674 236 390 397 390
933 863 294 606 626 606
1,028 944 353 539 547 539
1,071 935 334 605 625 605
964 891 344 476 486 476
841 744 229 312 320 312
256 330 334 330
C1)
0)
9,563 8,483 3,291 4,917 5,021 4,917

Total.............. 1,484 12,427 14,863 15.7923i13.7fi29
1916.
170 680 1,348 1,348 680 436 709 695 689
January...................
February..............
498 1,251 3,253 3,246 1,244 750 1,165 1,131 1,131
March......................
282 972 2,900 2,870 965 960 1,250 1,194 1,194
April........................
408 2,898 4,993 5,126 4,589 2,460 2,460 2,154 2,154
463 2,368 4,957 5,767 4,894 2,260 3,175 2,895 2,893
May........................
402 3,201 5,922 5,904 5,417 1,890 2,862 2,430 2,426
June........................
438 3,347 6,471 6,497 6,009 2,229 4,610 4,075 3,929
July.........................
August....................
508 3,909 7,359 7,033 6,586 2,760 4,231 3,710 3,609
Feptember...............
459 4,106 7,433 6,996 6,519 2,690 3,572 3.882 3,822
October....................
516 3,561 6,646 6,593 6,203 2,932 4,275 3,986 3,935
November................
281 2,495 4,269 4,320 3,948 2,025 2,614 2,510 2,442
December................
267 2,253 3,324 3,295 3,010 1,610 1,875 1,856 1,856

193
275
162
501
517
327
530
442
686
580
407
427

275
463
465
1,003
1,239
1,080
2,529
1,150
1,333
1,418
894
1,222

275
475
465
919
1,078
1,080
1,088
1,028
1,267
1,418
1,059
1,204

273
463
465
901
1,089
1,080
1,065
1,018
1,252
1,401
1,040
1,176

Total.............. 4,692 31,041 58,875 58,995 50,064 23,002 32,798 30,518 30,080 5,047 13,071 11,356 11,223




1 Not reported.

100

PUBLIC EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

T a b l e C .—

OPERATIONS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES—Concluded.

WISCONSIN (4 bureaus).

Year and month.

Per­
Appli­ sons
Per­
cations asked
sons
from for by apply­
em­
for
em­ ing
ployers. ployers.
work.

Offers
of
posi­
tions.

Per­
Appli­ sons
Per­
Posi­ cations asked
sons
tions from for by apply­
em­
filled.
for
em­ ing
ployers. ployers.
work.

La Crosse.
May 1, 1915, to Apr.
30, 1916................. 1,468 3,635
1916.
295
250
May........................
242
171
June........................
293
July....................
154
253
August....................
219
September..............
149
October...................
137
223
115
November..............
159
................
December
125
87
1917.
210
117
January.........
136
84
February................

2,330

14,268 33,469 33,069 31,526

2,138

1,094

291
273
262175
231
179
224
231
204

277
202
198
179
152
179
145
84

180
138
72
114
74
98
69
74

2,439
2,016
1,998
2,030
1,880
2,162
3,547
1,300

4,269
3,528
3,775
3,594
3,770
4,246
1,600
2,968

3,193
2,718
2,697
3,018
2,892
3,679
3,297
2,829

3,335
2; 903
2,627
3,253
3,169
3,901
3,450
2,913

2,666
1,868
2,009
2,598
2,289
2,941
2,625
2,211

221
199

141
100

63
64

3,735
1,322

1,628
2,102

3,224
1,957

3,373
1,977

2,591
1,536

TUT

July
Anorncf
fiantamhAi*
October
XTnuornhpr
1917.
TamiCiTv
TTiiVimcirv




22,787

Superior.

1,870

3,599

2,390

2,111

1,506

4,236

8,062

6,600

6,982

6,561

237

314
164
305
204

255
199

178
94
123
88
90
191
86
80

565
442
439
494
301
1,114
816
249

1,627
1,363
1,331
1,125
1,116
388
296
928

1,485
1,161
907
1,080
943
850
640
546

1,535
1,216
988
1,094
926
937
688
542

937
888
674
668
604
657
540
438

80
SI

666
209

269
465

609
379

682
416

388
392

I3&
164
145
165
316
116
109

249
235
106
127

157
280
204
191

212
136
152
125
151
244
106
103

189
86

126
136

178
157

113
93

m
ms

Total.
May 1,1915, to Apr.
iQifi
1916.

Posi­
tions
filled.

Milwaukee.

Oshkosh.
May 1,1915, to Apr.
30,1916................
1916.
May.......
J....... ............
.......
June_________
....
July....... -...............
August___ . . . . . . . . .
September...............
October...... .
November...............
December................
1917.
January...... ...........
February................

Offers
of
posi­
tions.

21,842 48,765 44,389

42,757 31,948

3,491
2,765
2,776
2,823
2,585
3,815
4,638
1,745

6,505
5,297
5,704
5,176
5,354
5,006
2,117
4,148

5,222
4,351
4,047
4,492
4,171
5,033
4,372
3,770

5,339
4,457
3,965
4,651
4,398
5,261
4,389
3,642

3,961
2,988
2,878
3,468
3,057
3,887
3,320
2,803

4,800
1,701

2,140
2,839

4,232
2,692

4,309
2,586

3,122
2,043

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