Unemployed Persons (Hansard, 28 January 1976)

§ Mr. Rooker
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the ratio between the percentage unemployed in each region and the percentage unemployed in the United Kingdom for each quarter in the past five years.

§ Mr. Booth
In the following table the rates of unemployment for regions have been expressed as ratios of the rates for the United Kingdom taking the United Kingdom figures as unity. In April 1974 the boundaries of the regions marked with an asterisk were revised, and the figures from June 1974 onwards are therefore not strictly comparable with those for earlier years.
207W

September 1972 December 1972 March 1973 June 1973 September 1973 December 1973 March 1974

South East … … 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6

East Anglia … … 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7

South West … … 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.8 1.8 1.0 1.0

West Midlands … 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.8 1.8

East Midlands … 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Yorkshire and Humberside 1.l 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0

North West … … 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

North … … … 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7

Wales … … … 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4

Scotland … … 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.6

Northern Ireland … 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.1

June 1974 September 1974 December 1974^* March 1975 June 1975 September 1975 December 1975

South East^* … … 0.6 0.6 — 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7

East Anglia … … 0.7 0.7 — 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.9

South West^* … … 1.0 1.0 — 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2

West Midlands … 0.8 0.9 — 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.0

East Midlands^* … 0.9 0.8 — 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8

Yorkshire and Humberside^* 1.0 1.0 — 1.0 1.9 1.0 1.0

North West^* … … 1.3 1.3 — 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

North^* … … … 1.8 1.8 — 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3

Wales … … … 1.4 1.5 — 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

Scotland … … 1.6 1.4 — 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.2

Northern Ireland … 2.3 2.3 — 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8

^*Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency information is not available for December 1974.

§ Mr. Atkinson
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage increase in unemployment has occurred in the Greater London area over the last 12 months compared with Scotland and the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. John Fraser
Following is the information available:

Percentage increase in the numbers unemployed between February 1975 and January 1976^*

Greater London 102.2 per cent.

Scotland 60.0 per cent.

United Kingdom 80.6 per cent.

^*Provisional.

Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, information for January 1975 is not available.

				September 1972	December 1972	March 1973	June 1973	September 1973	December 1973	March 1974
South East	…	…	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6
East Anglia	…	…	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.7
South West	…	…	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.8	1.8	1.0	1.0
West Midlands	…	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	1.8	1.8
East Midlands	…	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
Yorkshire and Humberside	1.l	1.1	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.0
North West	…	…	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3
North	…	…	…	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.7	1.8	1.8	1.7
Wales	…	…	…	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.3	1.4	1.4
Scotland	…	…	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.7	1.6
Northern Ireland	…	2.2	2.1	2.2	2.4	2.6	2.5	2.1

				June 1974	September 1974	December 1974^*	March 1975	June 1975	September 1975	December 1975
South East^*	…	…	0.6	0.6	—	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7
East Anglia	…	…	0.7	0.7	—	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.9
South West^*	…	…	1.0	1.0	—	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.2
West Midlands	…	0.8	0.9	—	0.9	1.0	1.1	1.0
East Midlands^*	…	0.9	0.8	—	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8
Yorkshire and Humberside^*	1.0	1.0	—	1.0	1.9	1.0	1.0
North West^*	…	…	1.3	1.3	—	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2
North^*	…	…	…	1.8	1.8	—	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.3
Wales	…	…	…	1.4	1.5	—	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4
Scotland	…	…	1.6	1.4	—	1.4	1.3	1.1	1.2
Northern Ireland	…	2.3	2.3	—	1.9	2.0	2.0	1.8
^*Owing to industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency information is not available for December 1974.

Percentage increase in the numbers unemployed between February 1975 and January 1976^*
Greater London	102.2 per cent.
Scotland	60.0 per cent.
United Kingdom	80.6 per cent.
^*Provisional.