§ 16. Mr. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the effect of the emergency measures on employment in Sunderland.
§ Mr. ScottI estimate that the numbers of workers temporarily laid off and claiming unemployment benefit in the Sunderland and Southwick local office areas on 31st January and 4th February 1974 were 3,840 and 2,670 respectively. Most, if not all, of this short-time working can be attributed to the three-day week.
The number of workers unemployed rose by 788 between December 1973 and January 1974, as against an increase of 480 at the same time last year.