New York Labor Bulletin Published Quarterly by the State Department of Labor. Vol. XIII, No. 2. ALBANY, June, 1911 Whole No. 47 Unemployment. EDITORIAL SUMMARY. Returns from all labor organizations in the state, representing 475,000 members, show that in the first three months of 1911 there was considerably more idleness than in the corresponding months of 1910. Thus 9.8 per cent of the members were reported as idle continuously during the quarter in 1911 as compared with 7.3 per cent in 1910, while 20.3 per cent were returned as idle on the last day of March, as against 16.1 per cent in 1910. Again, the average number of days worked by those not continuously idle was this year 65.1 for men and 63.7 for women, or two days less than in 1910, when the averages were 67.3 for men and 65.8 for women. The returns as to causes of idleness at the end of March make it very clear that the greater idleness this year was due entirely to a lessened demand for labor. Thus while the number of members reporting was not quite one-third greater this year, there were nearly twice as many returned as idle for "lack of work," with less one-half as many idle because of labor disputes and with little change in numbers idle for other causes. The greatest increases in idleness this year are found in the building and metal trades. In the clothing trades also an increase of idleness appears but not nearly so large. The other two of the five largest groups of organized trades, transportation and printing, are notable as showing less idleness this year than last. As compared with earlier years the percentage of continuous idleness was lower this year than in years prior to 1910 back to 1897, except 1902 and 1903 and 1905 and 1906. On the other hand the percentage of idleness at the end of March, though lower this year than in 1908 anl 1909, was higher than in eariler years except 1897, 1898 and |