§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of vacancies each year since 1979, both nationally and by region; and what has been the change each year in numbers and in percentage terms.
§ Mr. LeeFollowing is the available information which is also in the Library. The table shows the annual average number of unfilled vacancies notified to jobcentres nationally and by region for each year from 1980 to 1988, together with the change in numbers and percentage terms on the previous year. Figures on exactly the same basis are not available for 1979.
827W
Annual average number of unfilled vacancies by region Year Unfilled vacancies Change Percentage change South East 1980 58,600 1981 34,000 - 24,600 -41.98 1982 42,300 8,300 24.41
828W
Year Unfilled vacancies Change Percentage change 1983 50,800 8,500 20.09 1984 59,400 8,600 16.93 1985 62,300 2,900 4,88 1986 70,800 8,500 13.64 1987 90,700 19,900 28.11 1988 95,100 4,400 4.85 Greater London 1980 29,800 1981 16,200 - 13,600 -45.64 1982 19,400 3,200 19.75 1983 22,100 2,700 13.92 1984 26,000 3,900 17.65 1985 26,600 600 2.31 1986 30,000 3,400 12.78 1987 37,700 7,700 25.67 1988 32,200 - 5,500 - 14.59 East Anglia 1980 4,800 1981 3,500 - 1,300 - 27.08 1982 4,400 900 25.71 1983 5,100 700 15.91 1984 5,400 300 5,88 1985 5,800 400 7.41 1986 6,200 400 6.90 1987 8,000 1,800 29.03 1988 9,700 1,700 21.25 South West 1980 10,300 1981 7,700 - 2,600 - 25.24 1982 10,700 3,000 38.96 1983 12,700 2,000 18.69 1984 13,600 900 7.09 1985 16,100 2,500 18.38 1986 18,100 2,000 12.42 1987 19,700 1,600 8.84 1988 20,400 700 3.55 West Midlands 1980 7,500 1981 5,900 -1,600 -21.33 1982 7,200 1,300 22.03 1983 9,600 2,400 33.33 1984 10,700 1,100 11.46 1985 12,200 1,500 14.02 1986 15,400 3,200 26.23 1987 21,100 5,700 37.01 1988 24,100 3,000 14.22 East Midlands 1980 7,300 1981 5,400 -1,900 -26.03 1982 7,200 1,800 33.33 1983 8,000 800 11.11 1984 8,100 100 1.25 1985 9,000 900 11.11 1986 10,300 1,300 14.44 1987 12,200 1,900 18.45 1988 13,700 1,500 12.30 Yorkshire and Humberside 1980 7,700 1981 5,300 -2,400 -31.17 1982 7,200 1,900 35.85 1983 8,700 1,500 20.83 1984 8,200 -500 -5.75 1985 8,700 500 6.10 1986 11,300 2,600 29.89 1987 15,600 4,300 38.05 1988 15,500 -100 -0.64 North West 1980 10,400
Year Unfilled vacancies Change Percentage change 1981 7,900 -2.500 -24.04 1982 10,000 2,100 26.58 1983 13,200 3,200 0.32 1984 14,500 1,300 9.85 1985 16,000 1,500 10.34 1986 19,000 3,000 18.75 1987 24,200 5,200 27.37 1988 23,900 -300 -1.24 North 1980 5,600 — — 1981 4,000 -1,600 -28.57 1982 5,100 1,100 27.50 1983 5,800 700 13.73 1984 6,600 800 13.79 1985 7,800 1,200 18.18 1986 9,800 2,000 25.64 1987 12,000 2,200 22.45 1988 11,400 -600 -5.00 Wales 1980 5,800 — — 1981 4,900 -900 -15.52 1982 6,000 1,100 22.45 1983 6,800 800 13.33 1984 7,300 500 7.35 1985 8,000 700 9.59 1986 9,500 1,500 18.75 1987 11,000 1,500 15.79 1988 12,000 1,000 9.09 Scotland 1980 15,300 — — 1981 11,600 -3,700 -24.18 1982 13,100 1,500 12.93 1983 15,300 2,200 16.79 1984 14,800 -500 -3.27 1985 14,600 -200 -1.35 1986 16,300 1,700 11.64 1987 18,800 2,500 15.34 1988 20,000 1,200 6.38 Great Britain 1980 133,200 — — 1981 90,400 -42,800 -32.13 1982 112,900 22,500 24.89 1983 136,100 23,200 20.55 1984 148,600 12,500 9.18 1985 160,500 11,900 8.01 1986 186,800 26,300 16.39 1987 233,200 46,400 24.84 1988 245,800 12,600 5.40 Northern Ireland 1980 1,000 — — 1981 700 -300 -30.00 1982 1,000 300 42.86 1983 1,200 200 -20.00 1984 1,500 300 -25.00 1985 1,600 100 6.67 1986 2,000 400 25.00 1987 2,200 200 10.00 1988 2,800 600 27.27 United Kingdom 1980 134,200 1981 91,100 -43,100 -32.12 1982 113,900 22,800 25.03 1983 137,300 23,400 20.54 1984 150,200 12,900 9.40 1985 162,100 11,900 7.92 1986 188,800 26,700 16.47 1987 235,400 46,600 24.68 1988 248,500 13,100 5.56