§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average percentage unemployment rate in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands for each of the last 10 years and for the current year.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following table gives for the Wolverhampton travel-to-work area and the West Midlands region the annual average percentage rate.; of unemployment from 1972 to 1981 and the averages for the first four months of 1982.
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Wolverhampton travel-to-work area per cent. West Midlands region per cent. 1972 4.6 3.6 1973 2.5 2.2 1974 *2.4 *2.1 1975 †5.0 4.1 1976 ‡6.9 5.8 1977 6.3 5.8
Wolverhampton travel-to-work area per cent. West Midlands region per cent. 1978 6.4 5.6 1979 6.5 5.5 1980 9.3 7.8 1981 15.1 13.7 1982 (January to April) 16.3 15.3 * Average of 9 months. † Average of 11 months. ‡ Average of 10 months.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of persons unemployed, the percentage rate of unemployment and the total number of vacancies for (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands at the latest available date.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following is the provisional information at April 1982 for the Wolverhampton travelto-work area and the West Midlands region.
Wolverhampton travel-to-work area West Midlands region Number registered as unemployed 23,510 346,392 Percentage rate of unemployment 16.1 15.2 Number of vacancies remaining unfilled At employment offices 282 6,673 At careers offices 36 598 The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to employment offices and careers offices; vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for employment offices and careers offices should not be added together.
§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out for each quarter in 1981 and the first quarter of 1982 (a) the lowest and (b) the average (i) male (ii) female and (iii) overall unemployment rates in travel-to-work areas (i) with intermediate area status and (ii) with development area status in England.
§ Mr. Douglas-Mannasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish statistics for the numbers unemployed in each Greater London Borough showing these as a percentage of the economically active population.
§ Mr. AlisonI shall reply to my hon. Friend and to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.