HC Deb 03 July 1986 vol 100 cc601-2W
Mr. Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table to show the average monthly count of persons registered as unemployed in Scotland, in each year since 1974 who were (a) school leavers and (b) aged 19 years and under.

Mr. Allan Stewart

[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1986, c. 385–86]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table gives annual average unemployment in Scotland from April 1974 to May 1986 for school leavers aged under 18 and from January 1979 to April 1986 for those aged 19 and under. Annual average unemployment figures are not available prior to January 1979 for those aged 19 and under. Because of various changes in the way unemployment statistics have been compiled over the period, the figures cannot readily be compared.

Annual average unemployment in Scotland
Year School leavers under 18 Young persons aged 19 and under
†1974 1,769 *
1975 5,014 *
1976 8,572 *
1977 12,448 *
1978 11,605 *
1979 10,126 39,453
1980 13,180 48,160
1981 14,607 61,109
1982 17,841 69,858
1983 20,593 70,330

Year School leavers under 18 Young persons aged 19 and under
1984 18,443 68,379
1985 17,263 65,175
‡1986 18,706 64,514
* Not available from 1974 to 1978.
Nine months.
Five months.

Mr. Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people in Scotland, at the latest date, who have not been in full-time employment since leaving school; and how many of them are school-leavers from (a) 1986, (b) 1985, (c) 1984 and (d) 1983 or before.

Mr. Allan Stewart

[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1986, c. 385–86]: The number of people in Scotland who, at May 1986, had not been in full-time employment since leaving school was 17,521. There is no information to indicate in which year they left school.

Mr. Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the average monthly count of persons registered as unemployed in Scotland for each year since 1974; and if he will give the percentage unemployment figure for each year.

Mr. Allan Stewart

[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1986, c. 385–86]: The following table shows the annual average of the monthly count of unemployed persons claiming benefit in Scotland for each year from April 1974 to May 1986. Because of various changes in the way unemployment statistics have been compiled over the period, the figures are not directly comparable year by year.

Annual average unemployment in Scotland
Year Total Percentage Unemployed
*1974 82,406 3.8
1975 109,309 5.0
1976 148,323 6.7
1977 172,117 7.7
1978 172,042 7.7
1979 168,345 7.4
1980 207,918 9.1
1981 282,807 12.4
1982 318,017 14.0
1983 335,579 14.9
1984 341,599 15.1
1985 352,967 15.6
1986† 361,176 16.0
*Nine months.
Five months.

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