§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Employment to what he attributes the fall of 103,000 in the total number of employees in the construction industry in the year ended May 1982, though the rise in the number of registered unemployed in that industry was only 9,500.
§ Mr. AlisonFigures published by my Department for the construction industry in Great Britain show that in the year to May 1982, employment fell by 118,000 and unemployment rose by 9,500, whereas in the year to May 1981 employment fell by 116,000 and unemployment rose by 167,000. A number of factors, principally the nature of the industry itself, which includes substantial numbers of unskilled general labourers and self-employed workers, contribute to this apparent disparity.
A fall in the number of employees could involve a change to self-employment or a switch to employment in another industry, which is common among both those with general skills and the unskilled. Moreover some people leaving employment may have left the labour force, for example on retirement. Consequently a fall in employment could occur without a corresponding rise in unemployment. Similarly, a rise in unemployment in the industry could reflect the inclusion of people who normally work in other industries but have experienced a short spell of 663W employment in construction before becoming unemployed, or self-employed workers registering for employment. Thus, a rise in unemployment could occur without a corresponding fall in employment.
The employment figures, which are based on a sample inquiry, are provisional estimates and have a different timing from that of the unemployment figures; this too could contribute to an explanation.