HC Deb 13 March 1961 vol 636 cc82-3W
59. Mr. Willis

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of jobs lost in Scotland during 1960 as the result of closures and contractions in industrial undertakings other than manufacturing concerns and in manufacturing industries, respectively.

Mr. P. Thomas

About 10,250 workers were discharged as redundant in manufacturing industry, but in the same period there was a net increase of about 16,000 in employment. I have insufficient information on which to base an estimate for non-manufacturing industry.

60. Mr. Willis

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be lost in Scotland in 1961 as the result of closures and contractions in industrial undertakings.

Mr. P. Thomas

Although some 1,750 workers in manufacturing industry were discharged as redundant in the first two months of 1961, there was a small net increase in employment during January. I have insufficient information on which to base a precise estimate for the rest of the year, but I have every reason to expect that additional employment substantially in excess of any further redundancy will accrue.

Mr. T. Fraser

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of persons in employment and unemployed, respectively, in Scotland in each of the past ten years.

Boys under 18 in Employment* Number registered as Unemployed
Thousands
End May, 1951 … … 85.4 18th June, 1951 … … 716
End May, 1952 … … 85.4 16th June, 1952 … … 1,364
End May, 1953 … … 85.2 15th June, 1953 … … 1,024
End May, 1954 … … 87.2 14th June, 1954 … … 1,125
End May, 1955 (a) … … 83.5 13th June, 1955 … … 1,114
(b) … … 84.1
End May, 1956 … … 84.3 11th June, 1956 … … 929
End May, 1957 … … 81.2 17th June, 1957 … … 975
End May, 1958 … … 80.4 16th June, 1958 … … 2,148
End May, 1959 … … 77.9 15th June, 1959 … … 2,928
End May, 1960 … … 81.5 13th June, 1960 … … 2,023

1. The employment figures are based on an annual count of National Insurance cards exchanged. From 1955 the figures have been adjusted so that they reflect more closely the numbers actually working in the area, i.e. they include workers employed in the area whose National Insurance cards were exchanged elsewhere. To facilitate comparisons, figures for 1955 are given on both bases, (a) unadjusted, and (b) adjusted.

2. The unemployment figures relate to June of each year; this is the nearest count corresponding to the mid-yearly annual exchange of National Insurance cards at end May.