European Community (Unemployment Comparisons) (Hansard, 14 December 1978)

§ Mr. Cope
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing registered unemployment as a percentage of the civilian working population for each

Germany France Italy Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg United Kingdom Ireland Denmark

1972

Q1 … 1.3 1.9 5.6 2.6 2.7 0.0 3.9 7.0 2.1

Q2 … 0.8 1.7 4.9 2.0 2.5 0.0 3.5 6.4 1.0

Q3 … 0.7 1.7 4.8 2.1 2.6 0.0 3.4 6.1 0.7

Q4 … 0.9 2.0 5.1 2.5 2.9 0.0 3.2 6.4 1.0

1973

Q1 … 1.2 1.9 5.5 2.8 2.9 0.0 3.0 6.7 1.1

Q2 … 0.8 1.6 4.8 2.1 2.6 0.0 2.5 5.9 0.5

Q3 … 0.8 1.8 4.5 2.0 3.1 0.0 2.3 5.5 0.4

Q4 … 1.4 2.1 4.8 2.4 3.0 0.0 2.1 5.8 0.9

1974

Q1 … 2.3 2.1 5.0 3.0 2.9 0.0 2.5 6.3 1.1

Q2 … 1.8 1.8 4.6 2.4 2.6 0.0 2.2 6.0 1.0

Q3 … 2.0 2.1 4.6 2.7 3.5 0.0 2.5 6.0 1.8

Q4 … 3.1 3.2 4.9 3.4 3.8 0.1 2.6 6.9 3.9

1975

Q1 … 4.5 3.6 5.2 4.1 4.3 0.1 3.1 8.3 4.9

Q2 … 4.0 3.4 5.1 3.7 4.5 0.1 3.3 8.5 4.2

Q3 … 4.0 3.9 5.2 4.1 6.0 0.1 4.3 8.7 4.3

Q4 … 4.4 4.7 5.5 4.5 6.4 0.4 4.6 9.4 5.1

1976

Q1 … 5.1 4.5 5.7 4.8 6.3 0.3 5.1 10.1 5.2

Q2 … 3.9 3.9 5.4 4.1 6.0 0.2 5.0 9.7 4.1

Q3 … 3.6 4.0 5.5 4.4 7.4 0.2 5.7 9.6 4.3

Q4 … 3.9 4.8 5.6 4.4 7.3 0.4 5.3 9.8 5.2

1977

Q1 … 4.6 4.8 6.1 4.6 7.2 0.5 5.5 10.2 6.1

Q2 … 3.8 4.5 5.9 3.9 6.9 0.4 5.4 9.6 5.4

Q3 … 3.7 5.0 6.7 4.4 8.4 0.6 6.2 9.4 5.4

Q4 … 4.0 5.4 6.8 4.4 8.5 0.8 5.8 9.4 6.2

1978

Q1 … 4.6 5.1^* 7.3 4.5 8.2 0.9 5.8 9.8 7.5

Q2 … 3.6 4.8^* 6.8 3.9 7.7 0.7 5.5 8.9 6.2

Q3 … 3.5 5.4^* 6.8 4.4 8.9 0.8 6.0 8.4 6.1

^*Changes in procedure for counting registered unemployment from January 1978 have led to a small reduction in the rate from the previous basis.

Source: Statistical Office of the European Communities.

290W
of "Economic Trends" for December 1977. There is no information on employment in private firms receiving direct government grants and subsidies.
member of the European Community for each quarter since 1972.

§ Mr. Golding
The unemployment percentage rates are given below. They are based on national definitions and are not comparable between countries owing to differences in the concept of unemployment, coverage and method of compilation.
291W

§ Mr. Cope
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide statistics, in each year from 1974 to the latest available date, of percentage unemployment rates adjusted to United States concepts for each member of the European Community, the United States of America, Canada and Japan.

Period United States Canada Japan France Germany Italy^* Great Britain†

1972 … 5 .6 6 .2 1 .4 2 .8 0 .8 3 .6 4 .1

1973 … 4.9 5.6 1.3 2.7 0.8 3.4 2.9

1974 … 5.6 5.4 1.4 3.0 1.7 2.8 2.9

1975 … 8.5 6.9 1.9 4.2 3.6 3.2 4.1 ‡

1976 … 7.7 7.1 2.0 4.6 3.6 3.6 5.5 ‡

Q1 … 7.7 6.9 2.0 4.5 3.8 3.4 5.4

Q2 … 7.5 7.1 2.1 4.5 3.6 3.6 5.7

Q3 … 7.7 7.2 2.1 4.5 3.6 3.7 5.6

Q4 … 7.8 7.4 1.9 4.6 3.5 3.6 5.7

1977 … 7.0 8.1 2.0 5.2 ‡ 3.6 ‡ 3.3 ‡ 6.2 ‡

Q1 … 7.4 7.9 1.9 4.8 3.5 3.2 6.0

Q2 … 7.1 8.1 2.1 5.1 3.5 3.2 6.3

Q3 … 6.9 8.2 2.1 5.6 3.6 3.5 6.3

Q4 … 6.6 8.4 2.1 5.2 3.5 3.3 6.4

1978 …

Q1 … 6.2 8.4 2.1 5.1 3.5 3.4 6.4

Q2 … 5.9 8.6 2.3 5.1 3.4 3.4 6.4

Q3 … 6.0 8.5 6.1 3.4 3.6 6.2

July … 6.2 8.4 2.3 6.0 3.4 3.6 6.2

August … 5.9 8.5 2.3 6.2 3.4

September … 6.0 8.5 6.0 3.4

^*Quarterly rates are for the first month in each quarter.

†No rate is calculated for the United Kingdom.

‡Preliminary.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, November 1978.

		Germany	France	Italy	Netherlands	Belgium	Luxembourg	United Kingdom	Ireland	Denmark
1972
Q1	…	1.3	1.9	5.6	2.6	2.7	0.0	3.9	7.0	2.1
Q2	…	0.8	1.7	4.9	2.0	2.5	0.0	3.5	6.4	1.0
Q3	…	0.7	1.7	4.8	2.1	2.6	0.0	3.4	6.1	0.7
Q4	…	0.9	2.0	5.1	2.5	2.9	0.0	3.2	6.4	1.0
1973
Q1	…	1.2	1.9	5.5	2.8	2.9	0.0	3.0	6.7	1.1
Q2	…	0.8	1.6	4.8	2.1	2.6	0.0	2.5	5.9	0.5
Q3	…	0.8	1.8	4.5	2.0	3.1	0.0	2.3	5.5	0.4
Q4	…	1.4	2.1	4.8	2.4	3.0	0.0	2.1	5.8	0.9
1974
Q1	…	2.3	2.1	5.0	3.0	2.9	0.0	2.5	6.3	1.1
Q2	…	1.8	1.8	4.6	2.4	2.6	0.0	2.2	6.0	1.0
Q3	…	2.0	2.1	4.6	2.7	3.5	0.0	2.5	6.0	1.8
Q4	…	3.1	3.2	4.9	3.4	3.8	0.1	2.6	6.9	3.9
1975
Q1	…	4.5	3.6	5.2	4.1	4.3	0.1	3.1	8.3	4.9
Q2	…	4.0	3.4	5.1	3.7	4.5	0.1	3.3	8.5	4.2
Q3	…	4.0	3.9	5.2	4.1	6.0	0.1	4.3	8.7	4.3
Q4	…	4.4	4.7	5.5	4.5	6.4	0.4	4.6	9.4	5.1
1976
Q1	…	5.1	4.5	5.7	4.8	6.3	0.3	5.1	10.1	5.2
Q2	…	3.9	3.9	5.4	4.1	6.0	0.2	5.0	9.7	4.1
Q3	…	3.6	4.0	5.5	4.4	7.4	0.2	5.7	9.6	4.3
Q4	…	3.9	4.8	5.6	4.4	7.3	0.4	5.3	9.8	5.2
1977
Q1	…	4.6	4.8	6.1	4.6	7.2	0.5	5.5	10.2	6.1
Q2	…	3.8	4.5	5.9	3.9	6.9	0.4	5.4	9.6	5.4
Q3	…	3.7	5.0	6.7	4.4	8.4	0.6	6.2	9.4	5.4
Q4	…	4.0	5.4	6.8	4.4	8.5	0.8	5.8	9.4	6.2
1978
Q1	…	4.6	5.1^*	7.3	4.5	8.2	0.9	5.8	9.8	7.5
Q2	…	3.6	4.8^*	6.8	3.9	7.7	0.7	5.5	8.9	6.2
Q3	…	3.5	5.4^*	6.8	4.4	8.9	0.8	6.0	8.4	6.1
^*Changes in procedure for counting registered unemployment from January 1978 have led to a small reduction in the rate from the previous basis.
Source: Statistical Office of the European Communities.

Period		United States	Canada	Japan	France	Germany	Italy^*	Great Britain†
1972	…	5 .6	6 .2	1 .4	2 .8	0 .8	3 .6	4 .1
1973	…	4.9	5.6	1.3	2.7	0.8	3.4	2.9
1974	…	5.6	5.4	1.4	3.0	1.7	2.8	2.9
1975	…	8.5	6.9	1.9	4.2	3.6	3.2	4.1 ‡
1976	…	7.7	7.1	2.0	4.6	3.6	3.6	5.5 ‡
Q1	…	7.7	6.9	2.0	4.5	3.8	3.4	5.4
Q2	…	7.5	7.1	2.1	4.5	3.6	3.6	5.7
Q3	…	7.7	7.2	2.1	4.5	3.6	3.7	5.6
Q4	…	7.8	7.4	1.9	4.6	3.5	3.6	5.7
1977	…	7.0	8.1	2.0	5.2 ‡	3.6 ‡	3.3 ‡	6.2 ‡
Q1	…	7.4	7.9	1.9	4.8	3.5	3.2	6.0
Q2	…	7.1	8.1	2.1	5.1	3.5	3.2	6.3
Q3	…	6.9	8.2	2.1	5.6	3.6	3.5	6.3
Q4	…	6.6	8.4	2.1	5.2	3.5	3.3	6.4
1978	…
Q1	…	6.2	8.4	2.1	5.1	3.5	3.4	6.4
Q2	…	5.9	8.6	2.3	5.1	3.4	3.4	6.4
Q3	…	6.0	8.5		6.1	3.4	3.6	6.2
July	…	6.2	8.4	2.3	6.0	3.4	3.6	6.2
August	…	5.9	8.5	2.3	6.2	3.4
September	…	6.0	8.5		6.0	3.4
^*Quarterly rates are for the first month in each quarter.
†No rate is calculated for the United Kingdom.
‡Preliminary.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, November 1978.