§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current or most recently recorded rate of unemployment amongst 18 to 25-year-olds in the United Kingdom and the other European Economic Community countries; and how these rates have changed since spring 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkUnemployment rates by age for the European Community are not calculated on a regular basis by the statistical office of the European Community (SOEC). The table following reproduces some SOEC estimates for under 25-year-olds in March 1983, based on the results of the 1981 labour force survey and the change in registered unemployment between 1981 and 1983. Also
388Win the Huddersfield, Castleford, Pontefract, Norinanton, Barnsley, Dewsbury, Wakefield and Hemsworth travel-to-work areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe information requested is given in the following table.
reproduced are the rates from the 1979 labour force survey. In view of the sampling error attached to results from surveys, and the estimation procedure used for March 1983, the figures should be viewed with caution.
Unemployment rates for under 25-year-olds Spring 1979* March 1983† German FR 4.5 14.9 France 17.5 26.5 Italy 26.2 34.2 Netherlands 11.5 35.0 Belgium 14.0 32.6 Luxembourg 6.7 n.a United Kingdom 10.5 27.6 Ireland 18.4 25.5 Denmark 14.7 33.9 Notes * Source "1979 Labour Force Survey" (SOEC publication) † Source "Employment and Unemployment Statistical Bulletin April 1983" (SOEC publication) n.a not available. Figures for Greece are not available. The unemployment rate expresses the estimated number of persons without employment and in search of employment in the age group as a percentage of the estimated civil working population in that age group.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the unemployment figures for young people aged 16 to 25 years analysed by the smallest available age category at the latest date, in spring 1979 and in Spring 1982; and what rates of unemployment these represent.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following table gives the available information for the United Kingdom: 389W
United Kingdom Under 18 years 18–19 years 20–24 years number rate number rate number rate Registered unemployed April 1979 76,608 9.5 123,600 9.6 251,163 8.0 April 1982 193,354 21.8 315,959 22.9 594,777 18.4 Claimant unemployed January 1984 204,293 23.0 391,076 27.2 664,374 21.0 The unemployment rate expresses the number unemployed in the age group as a percentage of the estimated number of employees (both employed and unemployed) in that age group. Although separate unemployment figures are available for 18 and 19-yearolds, employment estimates for these ages are not readily available.
§ Mr. Sheermanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for young people unemployed for more than 26 weeks and 52 weeks in the 16 to 25 years age range analysed by the smallest available age category; and what were the equivalent figures for spring 1979 and spring 1982.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following table gives, for the United Kingdom, the figures for registered unemployed in April 1979 and April 1982 and the figures for unemployed claimants in January 1984. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.
Comparisons between the earlier figures and those for January 1984 are affected by the change in the basis of the unemployment count in October 1982.
Age Under 18 years 18 years 19 years 20–24 years Over 26 and up to 52 weeks April 1979 13,147 11,103 13,619 51,282 April 1982 47,256 42,680 44,980 148,091 January 1984 34,741 42,748 34,651 125,609 Over 52 weeks April 1979 4,335 5,546 9,918 41,189 April 1982 10,440 22,840 44,035 179,327 January 1984 17,727 42,678 62,381 224,349