MIGRATION

Nearly one-fourth of the workers had returned to the area from jobs in other areas. This raises the question: How strong is the attachment of these workers to southern Illinois, and would they remain if job opportunities existed in the area?

Virtually all (97 percent) of the 20,697 persons in the survey regarded southern Illinois as their permanent home. This close link to the area appears to deter many workers from leaving the area despite the lack of job opportunities, and causes those who do migrate to work elsewhere to return to the area when laid off in other localities although it means returning to an area where job opportunities are virtually nonexistent. Most of the workers who had returned had had jobs in Chicago, Peoria-Pekin, East St. Louis, other Illinois towns, and adjacent States, particularly Missouri, Kentucky, and Indiana.

HOUSING

Of the 20,109 who considered themselves permanent residents of southern Illinois, more than half (52 percent) owned the homes in which they resided, 29 percent lived in rental quarters, and 19 percent lived with relatives. Of those whose last job was out of the area, about one-third owned a home in southern Illinois, another third were living with relatives, and the remainder lived in rented quarters. Of those who had last worked in southern Illinois, 57 percent owned their own homes, 28 percent rented, and 14 percent lived with relatives.

DEPENDENTS

The workers' responsibility for dependents may influence their willingness to seek jobs out of the area. About 30 percent of the persons covered in the survey were without dependents, one-fourth had 1 dependent, 16 percent, 2 dependents, 13 percent, 3 dependents, and 17 percent had 4 or more dependents.

TABLE A.-Percent of claimants with and without dependents, by location of last

NOTE.-Only 11 percent of the women and 27 percent of the men had worked outside Southern Illinois

INDUSTRY

About 12,000, or 59 percent of the workers in the survey, were last attached to nonmanufacturing industries, with the last jobs of 45 percent in either mining, construction, or retail trade. More than 3,400 workers reported coal mining as their last industry-a greater number than from any other industry. More than 3,000 workers reported their last jobs had been in construction.

Forty percent or 8,242 of the workers had had their last jobs in manufacturing. Of these 1,712 had been in transportation equipment, 1,363 in apparel, and 1,218 in leather manufacturing firms, which industries had sustained rather sharp employment reductions just prior to the survey.

Of the 5,247 jobless women, 1,294 had last had jobs in the apparel industry, 894 in leather goods, 775 in retail trade, 551 in electrical machinery, and 233 in textile mill product firms.

DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Half of the 20,697 workers (excluding 2,023 for whom information was unavailable) reported that 14.2 or more weeks had passed since their last day of

work. Half reported that less than 14.2 weeks (median) had passed since their last day of work. Nearly one-fourth, 4,680, or 23 percent of the workers had been unemployed for 26 weeks, long enough to exhaust unemployment compensation benefit rights. Most of the workers out of work over 26 weeks were from either the construction, retail trade, electrical machinery, transportation equip ment, or coal mining.

The average duration of unemployment for workers varied greatly with the industry of last employment. For instance, half the workers last employed in the manufacture of furniture, electrical machinery, tobacco products, and textiles had been unemployed over 26 weeks. Half the workers last employed in the manufacture of petroleum and coal products, stone, clay, and glass, printing and publishing, and Government had been unemployed more than 20 weeks. See table B, column 3, for industry of last employment and duration of unemployment. TABLE B.—Industry of last employment and duration of unemployment of all applicant-claimants

Semiskilled and unskilled workers constituted the largest groups among those in the survey-each group comprising over 5,900 workers, or 29 percent of the total.

Among the unskilled were 1,826 laborers for heavy work and 751 construction laborers. The occupations represented in the semiskilled group were more varied-sewing machine operators, truck drivers, motormen, bolter-up men used in ship construction, rotary drillers and helpers from the petroleum production industry, driller machine men from coal mining, and auto service station attendants.

Among the 4,500 skilled workers, about one-fourth were workers in the skilled occupations of bituminous mining. Substantial numbers of carpenters, maintenance mechanics, automobile mechanics, and arc welders were among the skilled unemployed.

Sales clerks, clerk-typists, stenographers, waitresses, cooks, and farm workers also were substantially represented in the unemployed workers.

AGE

Nearly 40 percent of the 20,697 unemployed workers in the survey were under 35 years of age. Only 26 percent were in the over 50 age groups. Of the men, 37 percent were under 35 years and about 30 percent over 50 years.

The median age of all those who completed questionnaires was 39.7 years with the median age of men (40.1) somewhat higher than that for women (36.3). This group of workers does not differ greatly from the median age of all employed persons in the State which in the 1950 census was 39.4 years; 40.4 years for men, and 36.8 years for women.

TABLE C.-Occupation of unemployed workers in 30 southern Illinois counties, May-July 1954

Although about 1 out of every 5 workers included in the southern Illinois applicant-claimant survey had been employed in coal mines, many other occupations were represented among the unemployed. A high proportion of the workers were unskilled (29 percent) as compared to about 10 to 15 percent among all workers in the State. The age distribution of the survey group was not very dissimilar from that of all workers in the State.

Workers in this area have demonstrated a willingness to migrate when job opportunities are offered elsewhere but tend to return to this area when unemployed because their homes are in the area.

SUMMARY OF LABOR MARKET TRENDS, SEPTEMBER 1955

HERRIN

A surge in manufacturing employment made possible an increase of 1,525 among reporting firms in the Herrin sector between mid-February and midAugust 1955. Gains of 275 in machinery and 75 in textiles resulted from plant expansions, while electrical machinery gained 150 in addition to the return of 900 workers to their jobs following settlement of a labor-management dispute. Except for seasonal losses in coal mining, nonagricultural lines held reasonably

steady with the help of brisk activity in construction. Unemployment in Williamson and Johnson Counties was estimated at 3,600 (including 675 women) on August 15, as compared to 4,500 on February 15. Continued improvement in the manufacturing picture and relatively stable nonmanufacturing employment is foreseen during the next several months.

MURPHYSBORO

A modest employment gain resulted in the Murphysboro sector despite scattered losses in several lines during the 6-month period ending August 15. Manufacturing gains of 100 were centered in apparel. Although construction experienced a general pickup, about one-third of the nonskilled construction labor force was unemployed at any given time. Seasonal agricultural employment has been only a fraction of that required during normal years due to the March freeze which killed the peach crop and seriously damaged apples. Unemployment in Jackson, Perry, and Union Counties was estimated at 3,000 on August 15 (including 575 women) as compared to 4,000 on February 15. Although local industries absorbed many, the reduced jobless total was largely a result of workers departing for areas of greater employment opportunity. A moderate employment advance in apparel manufacturing and relatively stable conditions in other lines are anticipated during the ensuing 4 months.

WEST FRANKFORT

Employment slackened in nearly all industrial lines, revealing a net loss of 1,300 among reporting firms in the West Frankfort sector, during the 6-month period ending August 15. Chief reductions occurred in coal mining, as permanent closure of 1 mine sent home 375 workers and mechanization of mines displaced 350. Temporary shutdown of 1 mine idled 400, but operations were resumed in mid-September. Seasonal layoffs in apparel idled 125. Unemployment in Franklin County rose beyond that reported last February, the number of jobless being estimated at 4,900 (including 975 women) on August 15, as compared to 4,800 on February 15. During the next 4 months, moderate gains are scheduled for the apparel industry, with reports indicating that other lines may remain stable or show slight increases.

Population and public assistance in 16 southernmost counties of Illinois

Sources: 1950 population from 1950 census. Public assistance for month of October 1955 from Illinois Public Aid Commission reports, Garrett W. Keaster, executive secretary.

Of Southern Illinois' 15 economically depressed counties (unshaded), seven are coal producers (scuttles). Hardin is fluorspar center, Union is peach-grower. Alexander and Pope are occupied mostly by Shawnee National Forest. Others are relatively poor farm counties. Figures represent per cent of population (1950 census) receiving public aid in January.