§ Mrs. René Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the numbers unemployed in the (a) pre-19 years age group, (b) 20 to 24 years age group and (c) 25 years plus age group for each month for each year since 1970; and what percentage of the total unemployed the figures represent in each case.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 23 June 1980, c. 33–4]: The age analysis of the numbers registered as unemployed has been made quarterly since July 1978. Until then it was made half-yearly in January and July. Following is the available information for Great Britain.
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REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED BY AGE GROUPS Aged 19 years and under Percentage of all ages Aged 20–24 years Percentage of all ages Aged 25 years and over Percentage of all ages Total, all ages 1970— January … … 67,241 11.0 84,878 13.9 456,617 75.0 608,736 July … … 72,024 13.1 77,554 14.1 399,297 72.7 548,875 1971— January … … 83,222 12.4 99,589 14.8 488,913 72.8 671,724 July … … 110,649 14.9 119,693 16.2 510,489 68.9 740,831 1972— January … … 129,375 14.0 149,646 16.2 645,496 69.8 924,517 July … … 125,200 15.4 131,555 16.2 553,878 68.3 810,633 1973— January … … 114,741 14.4 126,728 15.9 554,489 69.7 795,958 July … … 70,064 12.5 84,192 15.0 407,069 72.5 561,325 1974— January … … * * * * * * * July … … 81,591 14.2 92,531 16.1 399,503 69.6 573,625 1975— January … … * * * * * * * July … … 232,840 22.3 203,386 19.5 605,960 58.1 1,042,186 1976— January … … 224,545 17.9 228,953 18.3 798,328 63.8 1,251,826 July … … 390,246 27.8 224,850 16.0 787,374 56.1 1,402,470 464W
Aged 19 years and under Percentage of all ages Aged 20–24 years Percentage of all ages Aged 25 years and over Percentage of all ages Total, all ages 1977— January … … 252,328 18.2 254,916 18.3 882,974 63.5 1,390,218 July … … … 456,201 29.4 252,316 16.2 844,949 54.4 1,553,466 1978— January … … 274,822 18.5 276,418 18.6 933,447 62.9 1,484,687 July … … … 441,028 29.2 238,376 15.8 833,083 55.1 1,512,487 October … … 277,339 20.3 245,321 18.0 842,247 61.7 1,364,907 1979— January … … 240,492 17.3 259,013 18.6 891,715 64.1 1,391,220 April … … … 190,724 14.9 238,178 18.6 850,906 66.5 1,279,808 July … … … 389,880 28.0 225,494 16.2 776,647 55.8 1,392,021 October … … 252,129 19.4 242,140 18.6 808,558 62.1 1,302,827 1980— January … … 240,425 17.1 271,250 19.3 892,714 63.6 1,404,389 April … … … 245,633 16.9 277,935 19.1 931,094 64.0 1,454,662 * Not available. Notes: 1. The figures for July 1975 and earlier dates include adult students not present in those for January 1976 and later dates. 2. The minimum school leaving age was raised to 16 from 1 September 1972. As a result a much smaller number of pupils than usual were able to leave schoo in the summer of 1973. 3. The July figures for recent years include considerable numbers of school leavers; in particular, since 1976 (in Scotland 1977) school leavers have been able to leave earlier in the summer term and thus be included in the July figures. 4. The figures from October 1979 are not strictly comparable with those for earlier dates because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. Estimates by age are not available, but for all unemployed the monthly figures are about 20,000 higher than under weekly attendance.