Labor Turnover and Absenteeism

Report Outline
Full Utilization of the Available Labor Force
Extent of Absenteeism in War Industry
Extent of Labor Turnover in Industry
Remedies Fox Turnover and Absenteeism
Special Focus

Full Utilization of the Available Labor Force

At a time when Allied forces are preparing to come to grips with the Axis on the continent of Europe, high rates of absenteeism and labor turnover at war plants in the United States are causing concern to the government at Washington and to the public at large.

Since the American declarations of war, the loss of working time through strikes has been negligible in comparison with manhours lost through job changes and intermittent absences from work. As the problem of regularizing the flow of raw materials to war plants yields to solution, the twin problems of labor turnover and absenteeism are emerging as leading obstacles to maximum production of war materials for the fighting forces.

In normal years, rates of turnover and absenteeism tend to reach peaks during periods of advancing wage rates and high industrial activity, but the “cushion” supply of labor is usually sufficient to prevent a curtailment of output. At present, however, the supply of unemployed labor has been virtually exhausted and the critical shortage of workers at war centres is being aggravated as additional men are drafted from civilian life. Reduction in rates of absenteeism and turnover among the remaining workers is essential to full utilization of the available labor force.