HC Deb 29 March 1988 vol 130 cc417-9W
23. Mr. Hunter

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment statistics for the Basingstoke-Alton travel-to-work area.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988 the number of unemployed claimants in the Basingstoke and Alton travel-to-work area was 2,500, or 3.3 per cent. of all employees in employment plus the unemployed.

109. Mr. Cran

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of unemployment in the last 12 months in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988 the number of unemployed claimants in the Yorkshire and Humberside region, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers was 245,700, a fall of 46,200 over the last 12 months.

103. Mr. Andrew Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current levels of employment.

Mr. Lee

By September 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the employed labour force in Great Britain had risen for 18 consecutive quarters to 24,505,000. This represents an increase of 1,508,000 since March 1983. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and Her Majesty's forces.

97. Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the changes in unemployment levels in the northern region in the last 12 months.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988, the number of unemployed claimants in the northern region, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers was 187,300, a fall of 30,400 over the last 12 months.

95. Mr. Canavan

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage increase in unemployment since May 1979.

Mr. Lee

Between May 1979 and February 1988, the number of adult unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, on a consistent basis, increased by 119.7 per cent.

78. Mr. Duffy

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the latest unemployment figures for South Yorkshire and Sheffield travel-to-work area expressed as a percentage.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988, the numbers of unemployed claimants in the county of South Yorkshire, and the Sheffield travel-to-work area expressed as a percentage of employees in employment plus the unemployed were 16.1 per cent. and 14.1 per cent. respectively.

75. Mr. Robert G. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current employment situation among the 18 to 25-year-old age group.

Mr. Lee

In January 1988 there were 774,000 unemployed claimants aged 18 to 24 in the United Kingdom, 197,000 fewer than in January 1987.

Analysis of the preliminary results of the labour force survey carried out in the spring of 1987 shows that there were an estimated 4,352,000 persons aged 18 to 24 in employment in Great Britain, 164,000 more than in spring 1986.

53. Mr. Gill

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

In September 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 24,505,000 people in the employed labour force in Great Britain. This represents an increase of 1,508,000 since March 1983. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and Her Majesty's forces.

38. Mr. Sumberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people currently employed in the north-west.

92. Mr. Day

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people currently employed in the north-west.

Mr. Lee

In September 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 2,550,000 people in the civilian employed labour force in the north-west region. This represents an increase of 26,000 since March 1983.

The figures have not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The civilian employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment and the self-employed.

39. Mr. Andy Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of unemployment in the last 12 months in the east midlands.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988 the number of unemployed claimants in the east midlands region, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, was 158,400, a fall of 32,900 over the last 12 months.

33. Mr. Knapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of unemployment in the last 12 months in the west midlands.

Mr. Lee

On 11 February 1988 the number of unemployed claimants in the west midlands region, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, was 258,100–9.9 per cent. of the working population. This was the first time unemployment has fallen below 10 per cent. since April 1981 and is a fall of 61,100 over the last 12 months.

31. Mr. Latham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the current trend in unemployment.

46. Mr. Bowis

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current levels of unemployment in the United Kingdom.

114. Mr. Parry

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest unemployment figures.

Mr. Lee

The seasonally adjusted level of adult unemployment fell further by 33,400 between January and February, to 2,531,300, the lowest figure on a consistent basis since February 1982. The figure has now fallen for 19 consecutive months, by 679,000 in total since July 1986, the largest sustained fall on record.