§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are currently claiming unemployment benefit; how many of them are registered at (a) jobcentres and (b) careers offices; and what these figures represent as percentages of the overall unemployment figures.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 13 June 1985 there were 3,057,190 unemployed claimants in Great Britain. On 11 April 1985, the latest date for which a figure is available, there were 163,690 unemployed persons registered at careers offices. On 7 June 1985 there were 499,252 persons registered at jobcentres. This latter figure may include a number of people seeking a change of employment and others who are not claiming unemployment benefit. Taking these two factors into account, giving an answer in percentage terms would deprive the answer of any real meaning.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish his latest estimate of the numbers (a) who leave youth training schemes before the completion of training, and for which reason and (b) who, on completion of youth training schemes, find employment; and if he will publish a table showing the proportion of entrants who find employment.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe following table shows the number and proportion of young people who left the youth training scheme between July and September 1984 before the completion of training:
1984 Number in training at month end (000's) Number of early leavers in month (000's) Early leavers as percentage of in training total July 283.2 5.4 2 August 292.0 7.0 2 September 310.5 7.4 2 The Manpower Services Commission conducts a regular monthly survey of leavers from the scheme. Questionnaires are sent to a 15 per cent. sample of all leavers some three months after they leave the scheme. Results are placed in the Library. The latest analysis of reasons given by young people for leaving the scheme early relates to those who left between July and September 270W 1984 and is as follows (the total comes to more than 100 per cent. because some young people gave more than one reason):
Percentage of early leavers Scheme had finished 2 Got a full-time job 49 Got a part-time job 3 Joined another YTS scheme 9 Ill 4 Scheme not providing training needed 13 Not happy on scheme 23 Pay was too low 19 Some other reason 22 The same survey shows that 62 per cent. of young people who completed training during the period July-September 1984 found employment.
Information is not available on the proportion of entrants who find employment. However, the survey referred to shows that some 60 per cent. of young people leaving the scheme between July and September 1984 (the peak leaving period) went into employment.