HC Deb 30 January 1978 vol 943 cc56-8W
Mr. Stanbrook

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of registered unemployed over pensionable age in England and Wales at the latest convenient date.

Mr. Golding

The numbers registered as unemployed are analysed by age groups twice a year. As the figures for January 1978 are not yet available the latest information is for July 1977 and is given below:

Males aged 65 years and over Females aged 60 years and over
England 2,338 1,119
Wales 132 50

Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures showing the number of people under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in Essex as a whole and for Basildon and Billericay in particular; and how this compares with the comparable periods in 1975 to 1977.

Mr. Golding

The following table gives the numbers of people under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in Essex and in the employment office areas of Basildon and Brentwood, which includes Billericay:

Essex Basildon Brentwood (including Billericay)
January 1976 2,122 316 41
January 1977 2,457 348 72
January 1978 2,244 345 72

Because of industrial action by some staff in the Department of Employment Group, figures are not available for January 1975.

United States Canada Japan France Germany Italy* Great Britain
1970 4.9 5.7 1.2 2.8 0.8 3.1
1971 5.9 6.2 1.3 3.0 0.8 3.9
1972 5.6 6.2 1.4 3.0 0.8 3.6 4.2
1973 4.9 5.6 1.3 2.9 0.8 3.4 3.2
1974 5.6 5.4 1.4 3.1 1.7 2.8 2.8
1975 8.5 6.9 1.9 4.3 3.7 3.2 4.7†
1976 7.7 7.1 2.0 4.6 3.6 3.6 6.4†
1977
First quarter§ 7.4 7.8 1.9 4.8† 3.4 3.2 6.8†
Second quarter§ 7.0 8.1 2.1 5.3† 3.5 3.2 7.0†
Third quarter§ 7.0 8.2 2.1 5.8† 3.6 3.5 7.2‡
Fourth quarter§ 6.8† 8.3† 2.0‡ 5.2‡ 3.5 3.3 7.2†
*Quarterly rates are for the first month of the quarter.
†Preliminary.
‡October-November.
§Seasonally adjusted.

Note: Except for the United States, figures are calculated by applying an annual adjustment factor to current published national data and, therefore should be viewed only as approximate indicators of unemployment under United States concepts. Data for Canada and Japan require little or no adjustment.

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

Information for some other member countries of the EEC, on a national basis, and not directly comparable with each other or U.S. concepts is shown below.

For the Netherlands the rate in 1977 has increased from 5.0 in the first quarter to 5.5 in October-November. Earlier figures on the same basis are not available. In Luxembourg unemployment is negligible.

Belgium Ireland Denmark
1970 * 7.2 *
1971 * 7.2 *
1972 * 8.1 *

Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the Written Answer to the hon. Member for Blaby on 25th January, if he will provide a comparable figure for the unemployment rate in Japan in the fourth quarter of 1977.

Mr. Golding

The latest available figure, adjusted to U.S. concepts, is 2.0 for October-November.

Mr. Pattie

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the written Answer to the hon. Member for Blaby, Official Report, 11th January 1978, column 774, if he will provide comparable figures of unemployment rates for each year since 1964 for all member countries of the EEC, Japan, the United States of America and Canada.

Mr. Golding

Following is the comparable information, available from 1970 only, adjusted to United States concepts:

Belguim Ireland Denmark
1973 3.6 7.1 1.1
1974 4.0 7.9 2.5
1975 6.7 12.2 6.0
1976 8.6 12.3 6.7
1977
1st quarter║ 9.2 12.0 6.7
2nd quarter║ 9.8 12.2 7.1
3rd quarter║ 10.3 11.8 7.2
4th quarter║ 10.3† 11.5†‡ 7.3†§
*Not available.
†Revised.
‡October.
§October-November.
║Seasonally adjusted.