HC Deb 12 June 1973 vol 857 cc1176-7
2. Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the information available to him from international sources concerning the age distribution of unemployed workers in major European countries.

The Minister of State, Department of Employment (Mr. R. Chichester-Clark)

As the reply contains tables of figures, I will, with permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Meacher

Is the Minister aware that Sweden protects older workers who cannot regain employment through the right of regional labour board officers to require companies to take on more such workers where, according to the personnel returns, a firm is not taking its fair share? Will he seriously consider introducing such a desirable system in this country?

Mr. Chichester-Clark

The view of successive Governments in this country has been that the older worker should not be regarded as a protected species but should be able to compete for work on his own merit.

Mr. Sydney Chapman

Will my hon. Friend consider publishing these figures, so that they can be used as a national comparison, and also figures for the regions? Will he make regular statistics available to the House?

Mr. Chichester-Clark

I will consider what my hon. Friend has said but I warn him that there are dangers in trying to make comparisons. The comparisons I have been able to obtain with European countries are not valid because our figures are not comparable with those of European countries which are based on the EEC Labour Force Survey.

Following is the information:

TABLE 1
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS BY AGE GROUPS
Males and Females—Spring 1971
Germany France Italy Belgium
Age groups Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Under 20 8.4 16.3 26.0 N/A
Over 20 but under 25 12.3 21.2 29.8 18.8
Over 25 but under 35 23.3 16.3 19.2 20.2
Over 35 but under 45 21.4 14.8 12.1 14.2
Over 45 but under 55 16.2 14.4 8.6 15.1
Over 55 but under 60 9.3 7.1 3.3 14.1
60 and over 8.6 10.0 0.9 11.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Source: "Statistiques Sociales—3–1972" EEC Labour Force Survey 1971, published by Statistical Office of the European Communities.

Note: The EEC Labour Force Survey assesses unemployment on the basis of a questionnaire addressed to a large sample of households. This basis and the definitions used, including those of employment and unemployment, differ considerable from those used in British unemployment statistics—and the figures in Table 1 and Table 2 (below) are not fully comparable.

TABLE 2
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS BY AGE GROUPS
Males and Females—January 1973
Age groups Great Britain Per cent.
Under 20 14.4
20 and over but under 25 15.9
25 and over but under 35 17.7
35 and over but under 45 13.8
45 and over but under 55 14.6
55 and over but under 60 8.2
60 and over 15.3
Total 100.0

Source: Department of Employment Gazette.

Note: The numbers include only people who register as unemployed. They include school leavers and adult students but exclude those temporarily stopped.