§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for unemployment in the London borough of Newham, and for each year before 1980, as far back as may prove possible, in the same or similar month.
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§ Mr. Jim LesterThe following table gives the numbers registered as unemployed in the London borough of Newham at June each year from 1966, the year in which the borough was formed. The London borough of Newham has been taken as the area covered by the Canning Town, East Ham and Stratford employment offices.
June each year 1966 994 1967 2,737 1968 3,057 1969 2,752 1970 2,880 1971 3,040 1972 3,775 1973 2,513 1974 2,084 1975 3,807 1976 6,836 1977 7,055 1978 6,416 1979 5,201 1980 (provisional) 6,830 Notes:
1. Because the school leaving age was raised in 1972, the figures for 1973 and 1974 include smaller numbers of school leavers than would otherwise have been the case. As a result of further changes in regulations the figures for June 1976 and subsequent years include considerable numbers of school leavers not present in the June figures for earlier years.
2 The June 1980 figures are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years because of the introduction, in September 1979, of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. Estimates are not available for local areas but for the country as a whole the monthly unemployment figures are about 20,000, or 1½per cent., higher than under weekly attendance.