Mr. W. Joseph Stewartasked the Minister of Labour the total number of men and boys, between the ages of 18 and 64, that are unemployed in the administrative county of Durham, and the duration of their unemployment?
§ Mr. E. Brown,pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 24th My, 1938; Vol. 336, col. 1063) supplied the following statement:
At 4th April, 1938, there were 36,600 unemployed males aged 18 years and over on the registers of Employment Exchanges in the administrative county of Durham. This total included 35,328 applicants for unemployment benefit or allowances and the table below gives an analysis of these cases according to the length of the last spell of registered unemployment. Among the persons who had been on the register for extended periods, a proportion which will increase as the period on the register increases, will have had one or more short spells of employment lasting not more than three days each during those periods.
Length of last spell of unemployment. Number. Less than 3 months 11,338 3 months but less than 6 months 4,939 6 months but less than 9 months 2,853 9 months but less than 12 months 1,846 12 months or more 14,352 Total 35,328 Corresponding figures are not available in respect of persons registered as unemployed but not applying for benefit or allowances.