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lishments employing less than five workers could be omitted because of
their relative unimportance, but even with these various exclusions the
Bureau of Statisties is now compiling the accident experience monthly
for approximately 25,000 establishments, more than two-thirds of which
are manufacturing plants. By providing the Bureau of Inspection with
current information concerning the accident experience in these estab-
lishments, the work of the inspector is concentrated primarily on the
individual establishments having bad accident records, instead of fol-
lowing the system of routine inspections by block areas previously in
effect. The new system is working very satisfactorily and is produeing
good results in accident prevention work. The attention of the in-
spectors is now directed more immediately to places where the need
for their services is greatest.
EMPLOYMENT
Two principal forms of employment statisties are compiled by the
Department. First is the record of activities of the State Employment
sffices, and second is the reports on volume of employment and wage
payments secured monthly from approximately 900 manufacturing es-
tablishments and construction firms in the State.
The reports of activities of State Employment offices measure employ-
ment in three ways. First, they record the number of applicants for
smployment. This registration of applications for employment gives
a fairly accurate picture of the condition of the labor market at any
given time or in any locality. The second measure of employment is
the record of the number and class of employes needed by employers.
This second record serves to confirm facts shown in the application
record ; for usually when work is plentiful, applicants for employment
are few and demands from employers for help are high; and inversely
when work is scarce, applicants for employment fairly besiege the em-
ployment offices, while demands from employers for help are few. The
third part of the Employment Bureau records that give an insight
into employment conditions is the report of placements made.
The second class of employment information is obtained directly from
individual industrial concerns by means of questionnaires sent to them
monthly, asking for a report of their employment and payroll figures
for the current month. Through a cooperative agreement this work
is performed jointly by the Third Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
and this Bureau. Collection of this class of employment data was
begun in January, 1923, from about one-half of the 900 firms that are
now reporting. These employment figures represent approximately 30
per cent of the total manufacturing and construction employment in the
Commonwealth and serve as fairly sensitive indices of employment and
earnings for those two industries.
UNION SCALE OF WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
The Bureau has been able to do little in the matter of wage studies.
Unless wages and wage rates are fixed by definite agreement, it is
always difficult to determine actual earnings in a given industry or
occupation. Where wage rates are fixed by definite agreement, the
assembling and compiling of wage rates is comparatively easy.
The most complete wage study made by the Bureau is the annual
compilation of the rates of wages and hours of labor as shown by