§ 11. Major Sir HERBERT CAYZERasked the Minister of Labour the total number of insured workpeople on the register at the end of each month during the year 1929, and at the end of January, 1930; and the total number of these workpeople
| Unemployment among Insured Workpeople—January, 1929, to January, 1930. | |||||
| Date. | Estimated Number of Insured Persona aged 16 to 64 inclusive. (Employed and unemployed.) | Number of Insured Workpeople on the Register. | Total Number of Insured Workpeople recorded as unemployed.† | ||
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | ||
| 1929. | |||||
| 21st January | … | … | 11,774,000 | 1,337,800 | 1,421,800 |
| 25th February | … | … | 11,786,000 | 1,313,800 | 1,412,800 |
| 25th March | … | … | 11,798,000 | 1,066,100 | 1,165,400 |
| 22nd April | … | … | 11,810,000 | 1,060,000 | 1,144,400 |
| 27th May | … | … | 11,822,000 | 1,065,200 | 1,141,700 |
| 24th June | … | … | 11,834,000 | 1,054,600 | 1,127,900 |
| 22nd July | … | … | 11,843,000* | 1,060,500 | 1,140,500 |
| 26th August | … | … | 11,852,000* | 1,075,600 | 1,161,500 |
| 23rd September | … | … | 11,860,000* | 1,086,000 | 1,165,900 |
| 21st October | … | … | 11,868,000* | 1,139,400 | 1,216,300 |
| 25th November | … | … | 11,876,000* | 1,209,500 | 1,286,300 |
| 16th December | … | … | 11,882,000* | 1,233,500 | 1,304,900 |
| 1930. | |||||
| 27th January | … | … | 11,892,000* | 1,397,700 | 1,476,100 |
| * Provisional figure. | |||||
| † i.e. The sum of the number on the register (col. (3)) and the number in the "Two-months file." |
§ 17. Mr. TRAINasked the Minister of Labour the approximate rate of unemployment in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, and Russia?
§ Miss BONDFIELDAs the reply is rather long and it contains a number of figures, I propose, with the hon. Member's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ United States of America: Statistics of unemployment are not compiled officially in the United States. Returns received by the American Federation of Labour in respect of a limited number of organised workers (about 270,000), in 24 American cities, are reported to have shown the following proportions as unemployed on 1st January, 1930: building trades, 38 per cent.; printing trades, 5 per cent.; metal trades, 14 per cent.; all other trades, 11 per cent. It should be noted (a) that there is a marked seasonal movement in employment
2384§ people employed and unemployed on these dates?
§ Miss BONDFIELDAs the reply consists of a Table of figures, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ in the building industry in the United States, and (b) that in view of the relatively small number of workpeople covered, it is doubtful how far the percentages shown may be relied upon as a measure of unemployment generally in that country.
§ Germany: On 28th December, 1929, out of 4,583,000 organised workers in Germany, 20.1 per cent. were wholly unemployed and 8.5 per cent. were working short time.
§ France and Italy: No percentage unemployment figure is computed either by the statistical authorities or by the trade unions; but, according to the official statistics, there is very little unemployment in France, and at the end of December, 1929, 408,748 workpeople were recorded as unemployed in Italy.
§ Russia: At 1st October, 1928, the latest date for which figures are available, 15.5 per cent. of nearly 11 million organised workers were recorded as unemployed.