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One argument which is sometimes

used is that we

could make our economy grow faster by importing workers.

This

to seems

no

doubt

We could, to miss me

the point.

increase Our total GDP by importing workers. But if we

imported large numbers of comparatively unskilled workers at

comparatively low wages, any increase in total GDP would

tend to be at the expense of GDP per person; and it is GDP

per person that matters when it comes to the prosperity of

our people. No doubt some employers would prefer to import

workers and so slow down the rise in wages; but it is far

from obvious that this would be in the interests of our

workers or our people as a whole.

Rehabilitation

18.

sc.

use tis

le

Another source of labour of which we are still not

making full use is the

one referred to by Dr. Ip in her

speech. We still have many handicapped people who are quite

capable of doing a good job but, in spite of the labour

shortage, cannot find work. The fact that employers vary

greatly in their willingness to take on handicapped people,

shows, I believe, that part of the problem is still due to

prejudice on the part of some employers. We clearly still

need more public education in this area. The Rehabilitation

Development Co-ordinating Committee, of which Dr. Ip is the

Chairman, will be concentrating on this area during the

coming year and it will also

major publicity campaigns.

also be the theme of one our of

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