HC Deb 24 January 1984 vol 52 cc484-5W
22. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest unemployment total; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Clark

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) on 19 January.—[Vol. 52, c.275.]

28. Mr. Bidwell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the United Kingdom were, on the most recent date for which information is available, seeking work for each job vacancy.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 8 December, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,079,378. On 2 December, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at jobcentres and careers offices in the United Kingdom were 139,831 and 6,5:52, respectively.

The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies notified to jobcentres and careers offices; vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of this, and of possible duplication between the separate figures for jobcentres and careers offices, it is not possible to provide satisfactory totals from which the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed can be calculated.

37. Mr. Sedgemore

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the unemployment total in June 1979 and at the latest date.

Mr. Alan Clarke

In June 1979, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 1,232,700 compared with 2,944,000 in December 1983. The figures exclude school leavers and are seasonally adjusted.

38. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment both regionally and nationally; and if he will make a statement.

42. Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the figures for unemployment, both nationally and regionally, at the latest available date.

Mr. Alan Clark

The figures for December 1983 were published in the unemployment press notice issued by the Department on 5 January 1984, a copy of which is in the Library.

47. Mr. Nellist

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers, to the latest available date, have been unemployed for between one and three years.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 13 October 1983, the latest date for which the information is available, the number of claimants unemployed for over 52 and up to 156 weeks in the United Kingdom was 853,441.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons, both male and female, were placed in employment by the Workington jobcentre in the last month for which statistics are available.

Mr. Peter Morrison

Workington jobcentre placed 95 people in the five-week period ending 6 January 1984, the latest for which statistics are available. Separate figures for males and females are not compiled.

There is likely to have been a substantial number of people who found jobs in the area other than through the jobcentre. Nationally it is estimated that about a quarter of all engagements are made through jobcentres.

Mr. Barry Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of jobless construction workers in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

Mr. Alan Clark

This information is no longer available from the monthly unemployment count. Later this year, there will be some limited analyses available from the 1983 labour force survey for the unemployed by broad industry groups, though not below Great Britain level.