The american Reonomic pepnt Jomary, 1964 issue, carries an item on “The Paradox of Crortime and Ynenplioynent," which is at great pains to disprove the argument thai shorter hours would lead to less unenploy— mont. It states: "Surveys conducted by the Labour Department show that almost 23 million Americans - or more than one out of every three at work - are putting in work-weeks of over 40 hours, with some 13 million logging over 48 hours..." ".,this is at a time when around 4 million persons, or 58% of the labour force, arcimemployed,™ Dealing with the nrgument that if all this overtime wero stopped, _ as least one million jobs would be found, it analyses who thesa 23 million feople are,
Knocking off the 5,2 million who are tuoinessmen, it then tekes the 3 million “moonlighters™, that is poople who have more than one Job. Saying it would be clearly impossible to limit the muimber of hours theso people work, it goes on to the 15 million wage and salary earners with one job who ars working overtime. (Cne mi¢ cht have thoucht that thera would be some comment on the fact that some 3 million people have to do 2 jobs in the richest country in the world — but there was none). Of the 15 million, Sct & million are in professional and man— agerial occupations, The exeess hours these people devote to their gods could scarcoly be spread ane the unonployed.s...in tHe Past SS the mumber of professionals putting in over 48 hours a weelc has doubled, primarily because of the shortazo of qualified people,”
“eeethis leaves arcund 11 million persons working overtime whose job could conceivably be spread among the wmemployed." The comes an important admission: ".,.Fringe benefits, weich hove been steadily increasing, seldom risa in cost wher euployees slready on the payroll work lonzer hours. For exemple, social security taxes — which cos the omployer 36 — may not rise for ee @oing overtime since ee apply only to the first $4, of an individual's carnings," (our omphasia). In other words, it is cheaper for the @nployer +0. fave bas workers doing overtine thah- to employ extra workers,
The article certainly shows that the argument about overtime ond unemploymont is perhaps more complicated than seme people have thought, lat it also reveals some facts which show tha inefficiency and waste oF American capitalism. Sweaty ROBOTS [Sst LIF UNDERGROUND besed on New Scientist item
The anxzieties of the American nation in its endeavours to ensure that at least some would survive 2 nuclear bolocoust has, it apecars, spawned anew race, the “simocs", Tho Bimocs aré a hardy breed who "live" and have thoir being in sultry tombs in various parts of the U.5. Man is essentially a heat machine; one that dissipates waste heat, and moisture..to his surroundings, which if they should be the congested environment of a survival shelter, whero the U.S. Govermient has alic-— tted to him some 70 million cubic ft,, of room to dash ahout it, he he will probably soon find things a aaa stuffy. Just how stuffy 5 the job of the "simoc™ te find otter. So =
LOGUE Dag ee ee