HC Deb 10 June 1985 vol 80 c352W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 to 19-year-olds are (a) on the unemployment register and (b) in employment; and what percentage of the relevant age group these represent.

Mr. Alan Clark

The latest available estimates are shown in the following table:

Great Britain. January 1985
Numbers Per cent.
Age 16–19 years*
Total population 3,620,000 100
Claimant unemployed 600,000 17
Age 16–18 years*
Total population 2,680,000 100
Claimant unemployed 440,000 16
In full-time education or YTS 1,130,000 42
Other: mainly employed outside YTS† 1,110,000 41
* Ages as at 31 August 1984.
Mainly those in employment but excluding those employed under the youth training scheme and including some who were seeking work but not claiming benefit and others who were neither employed nor seeking work—for example, because of domestic responsibilities. group is obtained by subtracting from the total population of the age group those estimated to be in full-time education or in the youth training scheme and the claimant unemployed. No estimate is shown for 16 to 19-year-olds as the education data do not readily distinguish 19-year-olds.
The estimates are provisional and have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 or 1 per cent.