Job Vacancies (Hansard, 24 February 1981)

§ 4. Mr. Wigley
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies there were in the United Kingdom at the latest available date; and how this compares with the number in May 1979.

§ Mr. Prior
At February 1981, the seasonally adjusted number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices in the United Kingdom was 96,000 compared with 254,600 at May 1979. Vacancies at careers offices, which are not seasonally adjusted, number 3,721 in February 1981 and 41,265 in May 1979. As not all vacancies are notified to employment offices, it is estimated that there are about 200,000 to 250,000 vacancies in the economy as a whole compared with 700,000 to 800,000 in May 1979.

§ Mr. Wigley
Does the Secretary of State appreciate that, on a quick calculation, that represents a drop of 70 per cent. in the number of available jobs since May 1979? When will the Conservative strategy on encouraging people to set up their own jobs by giving them more incentives work through into the economy and provide more jobs?

§ Mr. Prior
I am glad to say that in the past month in Wales vacancies have started to go up a bit, which is a good sign. Unemployment went up less in Wales in the past month than in most other regions of Britain. I am certain that when we get through the recession we shall have achieved the right balance in the economy and provided more jobs. We shall have more firmly based employment and prosperity than the country has known for 20 years.

§ Mr. Bowen Wells
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that, despite the financial difficulties facing employers, new company formations vastly outstrip bankruptcies, particularly among small companies, which is encouraging for job opportunities in the coming months?

§ Mr. Prior
That is absolutely correct. The uptake of jobs will come mostly from small companies. We should do everything that we can to give more assistance to them.

§ Mr. Cyril Smith
Is the Minister aware that, with only a few job vacancies, men in the 55 to 65 age group suffer most severely? Do the Government have special plans for job creation schemes, similar to those for 18-year-olds, for such men, many of whom feel that they are on the scrap heap?

§ Mr. Prior
The position of 55 to 65-year-olds is particularly serious. They tend to be the long-term unemployed. The community enterprise programme, which is designed for the long-term unemployed, will be increased to 25,000 places in the coming year, which will take up 40,000 to 45,000 people during the year. Regrettably, at the moment the job release scheme is only for those aged 64 and over. When the funds are available, I believe that it would be an advantage to increase the numbers in the scheme.

§ Mr. Varley
Does the Secretary of State realise that the intolerable level of unemployment represents the inevitable collapse of the Government's economic and industrial policies? Will he admit that the situation can be arrested only if the Government introduce bold and imaginative measures to get people back to work and put an end to the industrial shambles?

§ Mr. Prior
I do not accept that. The situation represents a failure over 20 years to take the right action at the right time. The Opposition's suggestions would merely put us back in that position.