§ 33. Mr. Austinasked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement clarifying the position in regard to transitional unemployment.
§ Mr. IsaacsAs my hon. Friend will be aware, over the country as a whole the demand for labour considerably exceeds the supply. The numbers of insured workers registered as unemployed at 11th February, 1946, were 224,027 men and boys and 131,551 women and girls, a total of 355,578 or approximately 2½ per cent. of the estimated insured population. This unemployment is due to turnover of labour, seasonal variations in particular industries and to pockets of unemployment arising in certain districts where there are local shortages of suitable work. Detailed statistics of employment and unemployment are given on pages 74 to 79 of the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for March.