§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the average annual number of unemployed in Dundee in each year since 1980; and what was the average annual number of job vacancies;
(2) what has been the number of unemployed in Dundee in each of the past six months; and what has been the corresponding number of vacancies.
§ Mr. Allan StewartTable 1 shows for the Dundee jobcentre area the average annual number of unemployed registrants in each year from 1980 to 1982, the average number of unemployed claimants in 1983 and the annual average number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled.
Table 2 shows the number of unemployed claimants in each of the last six months together with the number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at the date of the count.
Vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in Great Britain. The number of vacancies remaining unfilled at a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled or withdrawn which would reflect activity more closely; for example during the 12-month period to December 1983 the number of people placed in jobs by the Dundee jobcentre was 4,876; it is estimated that nationally the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.
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Dundee Jobcentre Area Table 1—Unemployment and Vacancies 1980–1983 1980 1981 1982 1983 Average number of Unemployed 10,861 14,723 15,611 15,943 Average number of unfilled vacancies 418 298 358 383
Table 2—Unemployment and Vacancies August 1983 to January 1984 Date of Count No. of Claimants Unemployed Claimants 11 August 1983 15,996 8 September 1983 16,479 13 October 1983 15,980 10 November 1983 15,912 8 December 1983 15,817 12 January 1984 16,536
Date of Count No. of Vacancies Unfilled Vacancies 5 August 1983 310 2 September 1983 317 7 October 1983 425 4 November 1983 415 2 December 1983 382 6 January 1984 339