HC Deb 29 October 1985 vol 84 cc416-20W
2. Mr. Caborn

asked the Paymaster General what are the numbers of people who have been unemployed for over 12 months; and what this is as a percentage of those registered unemployed.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 11 July, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over 12 months was 1,327,000, 41 per cent. of the total. The corresponding number of unemployed registrants in April 1979 was 367,000.

4. Mr. Flannery

asked the Paymaster General what is the present number of people who are unemployed.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

On 12 September 1985, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,346,200.

10. Mr. Corbett

asked the Paymaster General what, at the latest convenient date, were the numbers of (a) men and (b) women in Erdington and Birmingham out of work for more than 12 months; and how this compares with the position a year ago.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 11 July 1985, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of male claimants in the Birmingham, Erdington constituency who had been unemployed for over 12 months was 3,463. The number of female claimants was 951. The corresponding figures for 12 July 1984 are 3,443 male and 932 female claimants.

For the Birmingham travel to work area, on 11 July 1985 the number of male claimants who had been unemployed for over 12 months was 45,947. The number of female claimants was 13,011. The corresponding figures for 12 July 1984 are 46,591 male and 12,554 female claimants.

16. Mr. Tony Lloyd

asked the Paymaster General what proportion of the work force was unemployed in May 1979; and what is the proportion unemployed at the present time.

Mr. David Trippier

On 12 September 1985 the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was 13.8 per cent., and the corresponding estimate for May 1979 was 4.9 per cent.

17. Mr. Andrew MacKay

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

20. Mr. Adley

asked the Paymaster General if he will make a statement on the latest level of employment.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

In June, after nine successive quarterly increases, the employed labour force in the United Kingdom had risen to 24,245,000. On 12 September, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,346,000.

18. Mr. Fatchett

asked the Paymaster General what are the current numbers unemployed; and what this is as a proportion of the work force.

Mr. David Trippier

On 12 September 1985, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,346,200 which corresponds to an unemployment rate of 13.8 per cent.

21. Mr. Hardy

asked the Paymaster General how many people are unemployed in the Rotherham metropolitan borough; how many of these have been unemployed for over one year; and how many are under 20 years of age.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 11 July, the latest date for which analysis of unemployment by age and duration is available, the number of claimants unemployed in the Rotherham metropolitan borough was 18,235 of which 8,387 have been unemployed for over 12 months. There were 3,610 claimants under 20 years of age, and of those 650 have been unemployed for over 12 months.

24. Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Paymaster General if he will make it his practice to give as much publicity to the numbers of people who found work, and the number of jobs advertised and available through local jobcentres as he does the number of people who have become unemployed in each monthly statement.

Mr. Alan Clark

The press notice giving each month's unemployment figures already includes the latest figures on vacancies at jobcentres, as well as information on the number of people becoming and ceasing to be unemployed. As from 31 October, the monthly press notice will also show job placings made by jobcentres.

26. Mr. Latham

asked the Paymaster General whether he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 12 September 1985, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,346,000.

27. Mr. David Young

asked the Paymaster General what are the most recent figures for the total number of job vacancies at career offices in Great Britain; and how many people are registered unemployed for each vacancy.

31. Mr. Lofthouse

asked the Paymaster General what are the most recent figures for the total number of vacancies at career offices in Great Britain; and how many people are registered unemployed for each vacancy.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 6 September 1985, there were 13,522 unfilled vacancies at careers offices in Great Britain. Valid ratios of vacancies to unemployed cannot be calculated because many vacancies for which young people are eligible are not notified to careers offices. For example, many young people find employment through jobcentres.

29. Mr. Yeo

asked the Paymaster General what is the level of unemployment at the latest available date.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 12 September 1985 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,346,198.

30. Mr. Wainwright

asked the Paymaster General what proportion of those who left school in the current year is estimated to be in full time employment other than is provided by the youth training scheme and other special measures; and what was the comparable figures in October 1984.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information of the type requested is being obtained in the special studies referred to in the reply to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 18 February at columns 347–8. First results for young people who reached minimum school-leaving age during the 1983–84 academic year are expected to become available around the end of this year, while results covering the equivalent 1984–85 group (in England and Wales) will follow a year later.

32. Mr. Allen McKay

asked the Paymaster General what are the numbers of people who have been unemployed for over one year, two years, and three years, respectively; and what plans the Government have for retraining or re-employing those who do not find places on the community programme.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 11 July 1985, the number of claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over one year was 1,326,884. Of these, 799,379 had been unemployed for over two years and 506,807 for over three years.

Our White Paper, "Employment: The Challenge for the Nation" (Cmnd. 9474) describes the current range of employment and training measures and explains our strategy to achieve sustained economic growth. It is only through such growth that more permanent jobs for all unemployed people will be created.

36. Mr. Madden

asked the Paymaster General how many young people are currently unemployed.

Mr. Alan Clark

I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Mr. Hamilton) earlier today.

40. Mr. Roger King

asked the Paymaster General what is the latest total number of unemployed in the West Midlands; and how this commpares with 12 months ago.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 12 September 1985 the number of unemployed claimants in the west midlands was 360,799. The corresponding figure for September 1984 was 360.411.

44. Mr. Canavan

asked the Paymaster General what is the total number of unemployed persons in the United Kingdom compared with May 1979.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 12 September 1985, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted excluding school leavers. was 3,180,000. The corresponding figure for May 1979 was 1,184,100.

46. Mr. Prescott

asked the Paymaster General how many people are currently in work in the United Kingdom: and what were the figures for May 1979.

Mr. Alan Clark

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Litherland) and the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner), earlier today.

47. Mr. Jim Callaghan

asked the Paymaster General what is the latest number of people unemployed; and how many of them are aged 50 to 60 years.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 11 July 1985, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by age is available, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,235,036, of whom 495,827 were aged at least 50 but under 60 years.

60. Mr. Janner

asked the Paymaster General how many people he estimates have been unemployed for over 12 months in the Leicester travel-to-work area.

Mr. Alan Clark

On the 11 July 1985, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available, the number of people claiming benefit for over 12 months in the Leicester travel-to-work area was 11,338.

Mrs. Currie

asked the Paymaster General if he will show, for the travel-to-work areas covered by the Derbyshire, South constituency, the numbers leaving the unemployment register as a result of (a) age and (b) obtaining employment, for the last three years.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information on the reasons why unemployed persons cease to be unemployed claimants is not available.

Mrs. Currie

asked the Paymaster General if he will show, for the travel-to-work areas covered by the Derbyshire, South constituency, the numbers of vacancies notified to jobcentres for the last three years, and the number of such vacancies currently unfilled.

Mr. Alan Clark

The following information is in the Library. The table relates to the jobcentres of Derby and Swadlincote which cover areas closely corresponding to the parliamentary constituency of south Derbyshire. Figures are not available for travel-to-work areas since they do not correspond to jobcentre area boundaries.

Weeks in Derby Swadlincote
period jobcentre jobcentre
Vacancies Notified
8 March 1982 to 4 March 1983 52 8,183 498
7 March 1983 to 2 March 1984 52 8,687 530
5 March 1984 to 8 March 1985 53 11,650 677
1 April 1985 to 6 September 1985 22 5,649 322
Unfilled vacancies on
6 September 1985 635 36

Mr. Willie W. Hamilton

asked the Paymaster General if he will give a breakdown of the 600,000 new jobs created since June 1983, showing how many such jobs were part-time work for women, how many were second jobs, and how many were self-employed jobs.

Mr. Alan Clark

The net increase of 654,000 in the employed labour force in Great Britain between June 1983 and June 1985 (the latest date for which comprehensive figures are available) included net increases of 380,000 part-time female employees in employment and 399,000 self-employed people.

The second jobs included in the employees in employment estimates are not separately identified, but estimates from the labour force surveys suggest an increase of 60,000 between spring 1983 and spring 1984 (the latest date for which estimates are available) in the number of people with a second job as an employee.

The employment estimates do not include second jobs when they are held as self-employed.

1981. Mr. Phillip Oppenheim

asked the Paymaster General what has been the change in employment in Derbyshire and Amber Valley since (a) 1979 and (b)

Mr. Alan Clark

The latest available information is for the period from June 1978 to September 1981 when censuses of employment were taken and is as follows:

Employees in Employment
Thousands
June 1978 September 1981 Net change 1978 to 1981
Derbyshire 357.3 338.9 18.4
Amber Valley 40.2 40.0 0.2

Censuses have been taken triennially since 1978. Results of the September 1984 census of employment are expected to become available during the first quarter of 1986.

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