HC Deb 19 November 1979 vol 974 cc8-11W
Mr. Ray Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of unemployed in Wales at 14 November, or to the most recent convenient date; what were their sexes, ages and categories of previous employment; and when he estimates that his policies will have brought about a significant reduction in this figure.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

The most recent information relates to 11 October 1979, when 85,816 persons were registered as unemployed in Wales. The distribution of these by sex and age was as follows:

NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED
Under 18 18 19 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 and over Total all ages
Males 4,258 2,274 2,116 8,976 6,776 5,409 7,296 3,208 3,329 4,352 7,264 169 55,427
Females 4,984 2,655 2,077 7,432 4,166 2,361 2,630 1,292 1,353 1,370 69 — 30,389

The latest information on categories of previous employment relates to 9 August and is given below:—
Numbers registered as unemployed
Order No. Standard Industrial Classification Males Females
I … Agriculture, forestry, fishing … … … … … … … … 1,016 197
II … Mining and quarrying … … … … … … … … 2,126 30
III … Food, drink and tobacco … … … … … … … … 1,091 593
IV … Coal and petroleum products … … … … … … … … 130 23
V … Chemicals and allied industries … … … … … … … … 530 298
VI … Metal manufacture … … … … … … … … 3,324 305
VII … Mechanical engineering … … … … … … … … 1,372 271
VIII … Instrument engineering … … … … … … … … 82 132
IX … Electrical engineering … … … … … … … … 722 832
X … Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … … … … … … … 177 11
XI … Vehicles … … … … … … … … 585 223
XII … Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … … … … … … … 1,177 422
XIII … Textiles … … … … … … … … 536 301
XIV … Leather, leather goods and fur … … … … … … … … 67 53
XV … Clothing and footwear … … … … … … … … 132 923
XVI … Bricks pottery, glass cement, etc. … … … … … … … … 370 131
XVII … Timber furniture, etc. … … … … … … … … 404 127
XVIII … Paper printing, publishing … … … … … … … … 419 308
XIX … Other manufacturing industries … … … … … … … … 862 742
XX … Construction … … … … … … … … 11,317 217
XXI … Gas electricity and water … … … … … … … … 321 68
XXII … Transport and communication … … … … … … … … 2,406 339
XXIII … Distributive trades … … … … … … … … 3,556 3,306
XXIV … Insurance, banking finance and business services … … … … … … … … 668 524
XXV … Professional and scientific services … … … … … … … … 1,329 2,258
XXVI … Miscellaneous services … … … … … … … … 3,533 3,061
XXVII … Public administration and defence … … … … … … … … 3,273 1,829
Unclassified by industry … … … … … … … … 16,948 14,641

Reduction in unemployment will depend on many factors, but amongst the most important will be the response of all concerned to our measures to restore the economy and secure economic growth.