HC Deb 21 April 1983 vol 41 cc141-3W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many travel-to-work areas there are with unemployment rates of 20 per cent. or over.

Mr. Alison

At 10 March, there were 47 travel-to-work areas in the United Kingdom—out of a total of 393—with an unemployment rate of 20 per cent. or over.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish for the latest convenient date the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for (a) men and (b) women for (i) Great Britain, (ii) England and (iii) each English region.

Mr. Alison

The following table gives the rates of seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment—excluding school leavers—at 10 March.

Male Female
Great Britain 15.9 8.4
England 15.5 8.0
South East 12.1 6.2
East Anglia 13.5 7.5
South.West 14.0 7.9
West Midlands 195 10.1
East Midlands 14.8 7.7
Yorkshire and Humberside 17.1 9.1
North.West 19.6 9.9
North 20.6 10.7

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish for the last convenient date the estimated unemployment rates for men and women in Switzerland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy.

Mr. Alison

Following is the available information, for December 1982 unless otherwise indicated. The figures are not directly comparable owing to differences in statistical definitions and methods of compilation; they are not seasonally adjusted.

Unemployed rates
Male Female
Switzerland*• 0.4 0.6
Luxembourg† 1.2 2.4
Swedent‡|| 2.9 3.3
Norwaytঠ3.0 3.5
Austriaॠ2.3 5.1
Denmark‡ 10.0 9.5
Finland‡|| 6.0 6.2
France† 7.9 11.7
Germany (FR)† 8.0 9.1
Holland† 14.6 13.7
Belgium† 10.7 19.9
Ireland† 15.1 12.7
Spaint‡|| 15.1 20.3
Portugal‡▀ 4.2 13.6
Greece‡ 2.0 3.3
Italy‡ 9.0 16.1
Separate figures for male and female are not available for Iceland; the total rate (average for 1981) was 0.4*
* Registered unemployed; rate calculated as a percentage of total labour force.
† Registered unemployed; rate calculated as a percentage of civilian working population.
‡ Labour force sample survey; rate calculated as a percentage of total labour force.
|| Fourth quarter.

¶ November 1982.
• September 1982.
▀ 2nd half 1981.

Sources: EC Countries — EUROSTAT "Unemployment Monthly Bulletin" Portugal and Iceland—ILO "Year Book of Labour Statistics" Other Countries—OECD "Quarterly Labour Force Statistics".