During the early part of the year a series of addresses was given under the auspices of the London Headmistresses' Employment Committee by experts in various business and commercial callings to audiences of girls about to leave secondary schools, and these were so successful that a further series on somewhat different lines was arranged for the autumn, and for the spring of 1928. Audiences numbering between 600 and 700 drawn from the senior forms of the principal London schools have listened to addresses given by well-known men and women on the opportunities open to girls in different professions. Teaching, Music, Opportunities for Girls in the Public Health Service, the Value of University Education in Careers other than Teaching, Writing as a Career, the A.B.C. of Journalism-are some of the subjects already dealt with, and further addresses on Dramatic Art, the Law, Social Service, Horticulture and Garden Design, are amongst those which will be given later on. The register of information regarding the prospects, mode of entry, and methods of training open to girls from secondary schools has been kept up to date, and the advice given. to girls leaving school on the opportunities open to them is an important part of the work of the Committee.

In London during the 52 weeks which ended in the middle of December, 1927, 1,003 girls were placed in employment, and a large number entered on courses of training to fit them for various. Occupations. Amongst these courses are some in domestic science, including instruction in the elements of electrical science, which have recently been arranged at some of the London polytechnics in order that girls may have a better understanding of the use of electrical equipment for domestic purposes.

Special Arrangements for Mentally and Physically Defective

Juveniles.

In London the Ministry has continued during the year 1927 to make use of the services of the London Association for Mental Welfare and the After Care Association for Blind, Deaf and Crippled Children for the purpose of advising and placing in employment mentally or physically defective boys and girls who have been in attendance at the London County Council Special Schools. These boys and girls remain at school until the age of sixteen, unless they are specially exempted, and are given instruction in a trade. that is likely to be within their power to carry on efficiently in the industrial world when they leave school. A variety of trade. instruction is provided in these schools, including leather work, boot making, tailoring, upholstery, woodwork, poster work, dressmaking, embroidery, papier maché, basket making, as well as commercial subjects, including shorthand and typewriting, and it is found that this training is of great assistance in increasing the opportunities of employment open to the boys and girls concerned.

JUVENILE EMPLOYMENT IN 1927.

Supply of Juvenile Labour.

The numbers of boys and girls in Great Britain in July, 1927, insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts (excluding those insured under special schemes approved under Section 18 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920), as shown by the numbers of unemployment books exchanged, were 570,000 boys and 408,000 girls, as compared with 564,000 boys and 401,000 girls in July, 1926.

The industries in which the greatest numbers of insured boys were employed were the distributive trades, coal mining, building, engineering (including iron and steel foundry), cotton, construction and repair of motor vehicles and printing (including publishing and bookbinding), in that order. For insured girls the chief industries were the distributive trades, cotton, tailoring, dress and mantle making, printing (including publishing and bookbinding), laundries (including dyeing and dry-cleaning), and woollen and worsted.

During 1927 the supply of juvenile labour was in most areas sufficient to meet the demand, but in some districts a shortage of suitable boys and girls was beginning to be experienced. The shortage of boys and girls for the spinning sections of the cotton and of the woollen and worsted trades continued. The hosiery trade in Leicestershire and the boot and shoe manufacturing trade in the midlands generally have found some difficulty in obtaining all the juvenile labour they required, while in London the shortage of boys and girls of a good type for employment in the West End clothing trades and in better class shops and offices, which was beginning to be felt in 1926, became more marked in 1927. Some redistribution of the juvenile working population took place through various centres, in which trade was active, drawing on the available supply of boys and girls within daily travelling distance in the surrounding districts. For instance, considerable numbers of boys came daily into Oxford from the outlying country districts and smaller towns in the vicinity to work in the motor trade, boys and girls travelled from Leamington and other places to work in the silk and metal trades in Coventry, and girls from the Castleford district travelled by motor omnibus to the Leeds clothing factories.

In general, the coming shortage of juveniles available for employment owing to the fall in the birth rate, accentuated during the war years, was beginning to attract public attention at the end of the period, particularly in those areas which were already experiencing some difficulty in meeting the demand for juvenile

labour. A preliminary inquiry into the position is referred to under a later heading.

Volume and Distribution of Juvenile Unemployment during 1927.

There was a steady fall during 1927 in the number of boys and girls unemployed. The average monthly numbers of juveniles registered for employment at Exchanges and Bureaux during 1927 were 31,309 boys and 30,665 girls, a total of 61,974. The average numbers registered during 1926 were 37,874 and 38,866, a total of 76,740. As regards insured boys and girls, that is, practically all employed boys and girls of 16 and 17 years of age other than those engaged in agriculture and private domestic service, the average rate of unemployment during 1927 was 3.5 per cent., compared with 5.1 per cent. in 1926, the year of the coal stoppage, and 4.1 per cent. in 1924 and 1925. The percentage of insured juveniles unemployed was again markedly lower than the corresponding figure for insured adults, which in 1927 was 10.2.

Special Inquiry into the Redistribution of Juvenile Labour.

In July, 1927, the Juvenile Advisory Committees were asked to study the local effects of the general decline in the supply of juvenile labour due to the low birth rate during the war years. It was pointed out that according to the estimate of the Committees on Education and Industry, who had drawn attention to the subject, the number of juveniles available for employment was likely to fall from 2,175,000 in 1927 to 1,756,000 in 1933, a decrease of almost 20 per cent.

At the end of the year the reports on the subject made by the Juvenile Advisory Committees were not yet complete and some of the Committees in the more important industrial areas had not yet finished their inquiries. Most of the Committees who had reported agreed that there would be in their areas a gradually decreasing supply of juvenile labour up to about 1933. The anticipated shortage varied considerably from district to district.

In a circular issued on 15th December, 1927, to Local Education Authorities exercising choice of employment powers, the Ministry invited the Authorities to make a similar inquiry to that referred to above as far as their areas were concerned and to extend their consideration to the whole question of any redistribution of juvenile labour which might be necessary in order to secure the effective. adjustment of supply and demand. Those Authorities in whose areas the demand for juvenile labour is at present approximately equal to or in excess of the supply and who may anticipate in consequence an increasing shortage during the next few years,

were asked to make their inquiries in the following directions, among others :

(a) the extent of the shortage, having regard to the prospective needs of the trades and industries in their areas;

(b) the possibility of absorbing boys and girls respectively from depressed areas, with particular reference to the suitability of the employment available, the welfare and supervision of the boys and girls, the type of juvenile required, the wages likely to be offered, the provision of accommodation in hostels or otherwise, and similar questions;

(c) the need for and character of any preliminary training in Juvenile Employment Centres or otherwise for boys and girls whose parents agree to their transference, either in the juveniles' home area or in the area in which they are likely to be employed;

(d) the arrangements which should be made for selecting boys and girls.

Those Authorities in whose areas there was likely to continue to be a substantial surplus of juvenile labour owing to longstanding depression of local industries, &c., were invited to consider :

(a) the extent of the surplus, having regard to the prospective needs of the trades and industries in their areas;

(b) the possibility of parents allowing their children to be transferred under approved conditions to other areas;

(c) the need for and character of any preliminary training in Juvenile Unemployment Centres or otherwise for juveniles before transference;

(d) the arrangements which should be made for selecting boys and girls.

Authorities were invited to furnish their provisional observations as soon as possible, so that the whole question might be referred to the National Advisory Council for Juvenile Employment (see p. 68). The Advisory Committees for Juvenile Employment in areas in which the Education Authorities do not exercise choice of employment powers were also asked to review the position further in consultation with the Local Education Authorities concerned.

JUVENILE UNEMPLOYMENT CENTRES.

Present Scheme.

The Report for 1926 gave an account of the scheme in force for the financial year 1st April, 1926, to 31st March, 1927. The scheme for the financial year from 1st April, 1927, followed that of the preceding year, with the exception that the higher rate of grant, that is, roughly 100 per cent., was only payable

to those Local Education Authorities in whose areas the percentage of unemployment amongst insured juveniles during the preceding year was over 7. Authorities in whose areas the percentage of unemployment was over 3 and not more than 7 were entitled to a grant of roughly 75 per cent. of their approved expenditure on this service. In the preceding year the percentage of unemployment to qualify for the exceptional rate of grant of 100 per cent. was 6. On account of the very high general level of unemployment in 1926, following on the general strike and the coal stoppage, it was necessary to raise the qualifying figure if, in accordance with the general principles of the scheme, the most depressed areas were to receive a larger share of the limited amount of money available.

Work of the Centres during 1927.

The following table shows the number of centres open and the number of juveniles in attendance during the first week in each month :

The greatest number of centres open at any one time was during the week ended 23rd December, 1927, when 87 centres were open in the areas of 34 Authorities. The maximum attendance in any one week was reached during the week ended 14th January, 1927, when the average attendance was 7,139 and altogether 8,403 juveniles attended. Appendix XII shows the Local Education Authorities who established Juvenile Unemployment Centres during the year ended 31st December, 1927, the number of weeks in which centres were open, the number of hours of instruction given to each juvenile weekly, and the average attendance in each area.