§ 21. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen since June 1987; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,988,100 compared with 2,857,200 in June 1987 on the same basis, a fall of 869,100. Unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.
§ 22. Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of young people aged 18 to 24 years unemployed in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.
§ Mr. CopeIn January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants aged 18 to 24 years in the United Kingdom was 595,743 compared with 1,004,212 in January 1983—a fall of 408,469. The comparison is slightly affected by the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording.
§ 26. Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people in employment aged 24 to 35 years in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.
§ Mr. LeeIt is estimated from the 1983 labour force survey (LFS) that in spring 1983 there were 5,042,000 persons aged 25 to 34 in employment in Great Britain. An equivalent estimate for spring 1988, from the preliminary results of the 1988 LFS, is 5,980,000.
§ 29. Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
§ 83. Mr. LordTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the fall in unemployment during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the 12 months to January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom fell by 531,300 on a consistent basis. At 1,988,100 unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.
§ 36. Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of people aged 16 to 18 years in employment.
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§ Mr. LeeIt is estimated from the preliminary results of the 1988 labour force survey (LFS) that in spring 1988 there were 1,475,000 persons aged 16 to 18 in employment in Great Britain.
§ 41. Mr. PatnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportions of those in employment in the United Kingdom are self-employed; what this figure was 10 years ago; and what is the comparable change for other OECD countries.
§ Mr. LeeThe table shows, for the United Kingdom and major OECD countries, the proportion of those in civilian employment who were self-employed in 1976 and 1986 and the change in the proportion over the 10-year period. 1986 is the latest year for which the information requested is available for the other OECD countries. In September 1988, the latest date for which United Kingdom figures are available 11.6 per cent. of the civilian work force in employment were self-employed.
Percentage of civilian employment self employed 1976 1986 Change (percentage points) United Kingdom 8.0 10.8 2.8 Canada 8.4 9.2 0.7 USA 8.4 8.5 0.1 Germany 9.6 9.6 0 Japan 17.7 15.6 -2.1 France 17.8 15.8 -2.0 Italy 29.2 24.5 -4.7
§ 43. Mr. BurtTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen in Bury, North since July 1986; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in Bury, North constituency was 2,474 compared with 4,607 in July 1986—a fall of 2,133, or 46.3 per cent. The comparison is affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to the new benefit regulations affecting those aged under 18.
§ 47. Mr. ThorntonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the percentage fall in unemployment in each of the Liverpool parliamentary constituencies since June 1987.
§ Mr. LeeThe following information is also available from the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in June 1987 and January 1989 for each of the Liverpool parliamentary constituencies, together with the percentage change over the period. The figures are affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count due to new benefit regulations from September 1988 for young people aged under 18.
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Constituency June 1987 January 1989 Percentage change Liverpool Broadgreen 8,149 6,689 -17.9 Liverpool Garston 7,456 5,812 -22.0 Liverpool Mossley Hill 7,070 5,923 -16.2 Liverpool Riverside 10,764 8,960 -16.8 Liverpool Walton 10,303 8,300 -19.4 Liverpool West Derby 8,795 7,161 -18.6
§ 48. Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have become self-employed during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the year to September 1988 there was a net increase of 125,000 in the estimated number of self-employed people in Great Britain. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people are now self-employed and the number is still rising. The numbers of self-employed people have risen by over 60 per cent. since 1979 and they now represent almost one in nine of the work force in employment.
§ 52. Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of people in employment in Yorkshire and Humberside.
§ Mr. LeeIn September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the Yorkshire and Humberside region was 2,148,000. This represents an increase of 179,000 or 9 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian workforce in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
§ 66. Mr. DoverTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen over the past year in the north-west; and if he will make a statement.
§ 85. Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the last 12 months in the north-west; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the north-west fell by 61,100 or 17.5 per cent. on a consistent basis.
§ 69. Mr. William PowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeBetween March 1983 and September 1988 the work force in employment in Great Britain increased by 2,809,000 to 25,807,000, the highest level on record. This rising trend has now continued for more than five years. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed, Her Majesty's Forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
§ 76. Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in full-time and part-time employment, where identifiable, in each standard planning region of the United Kingdom in June 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. LeeFor the dates specified, the only available information about full and part-time employment in the regions is for female employees in employment. The information is not available for Northern Ireland. The information is as follows: 189W
Female employees in employment regions of Great Britain Thousands Full-time Part-time June 1979 September 1988 June 1979 September 1988 South-East 1,899 2,210 1,279 1,392 Greater London (included in South-East) — 1,105 — 496 East Anglia 163 201 122 160 South-West 382 430 295 325 West Midlands 533 541 370 405 East Midlands 376 404 265 309 Yorkshire and Humberside 453 452 362 395 North-West 666 607 471 496 North 298 278 208 237 Wales 250 217 165 185 Scotland 565 529 332 382
§ 82. Mrs. Maureen HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen in the west midlands over the past year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the west midlands fell by 65,900 or 25.6 per cent., on a consistent basis.
§ 87. Mr. OppenheimTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the last 12 months in the east midlands; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment seasonally adjusted, in the east midlands fell by 34,300 or 21.9 per cent. on a consistent basis.
§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people who were classified as long-term unemployed in January 1983 and January 1989.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants who had been unemployed for more than 12 months in the United Kingdom, was 821,419 compared with 1,106,771 in January 1983. The comparison is affected by the 1983 Budget measures for certain older men, mostly aged 60 and over, who no longer need to sign on to get their benefits, the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording, and the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to new benefit regulations affecting those young people aged under 18.
§ Mr. Roger KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the percentage fall in unemployment in the parliamentary constituencies in the city of Birmingham since June 1987.
§ Mr. LeeThe following information is also available from the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in June 1987 and January 1989 for each of the Birmingham parliamentary constituencies, together with the percentage change over the period. The figures affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count due to new benefit regulations from September 1988 for young people aged under 18.
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Constituency June 1987 January 1989 Percentage change Birmingham Edgbaston 5,001 3,548 -29.0 Birmingham Erdington 7,359 5,196 -29.4 Birmingham Hall Green 5,314 3,700 -30.4
Constituency June 1987 January 1989 Percentage change Birmingham Hodge Hill 7,081 5,152 -27.2 Birmingham Ladywood 8,892 6,606 -25.7 Birmingham Northfield 7,663 5,630 -26.5 Birmingham Perry Barr 7,400 5,301 -28.4 Birmingham Small Heath 9,599 7,344 -23.5 Birmingham Sparkbrook 8,566 6,188 -27.8 Birmingham Yardley 4,721 3,185 -32.5 Birmingham Selly Oak 5,750 4,203 -26.9 Sutton Coldfield 3,243 2,156 -33.5
§ 123. Mr. Andrew MacKayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of unemployment now; what was the level in June 1987; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,988,100 compared with 2,857,200 in June 1987 on the same basis, a fall of 869,100. Unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.
§ 132. Mr. FranksTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people included in the unemployment count are early retired people or those in receipt of the carer's allowance not seeking work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeInformation is not available in the form requested. However, according to preliminary results of the labour force survey for spring 1988, in Great Britain there were some 60,000 claimants in the unemployment count who were not unemployed on the ILO/OECD definition and who gave retirement as their main reason for not seeking work in the previous week.
§ 133. Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make an up-to-date statement on the employment situation in West Norfolk.
§ Mr. LeeThe latest available information from the September 1984 census of employment shows that there were 41,000 employees in employment in the West Norfolk local authority area compared with 39,400 in September 1981, an increase of 4.3 per cent. between the two census dates. Estimates from the 1987 census of employment will become available later this year.
More recent information is available about unemployment. In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in the West Norfolk local authority area was 3,148 compared with 4,876 in January 1988, a fall of 1,728 or 35.4 per cent.
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§ 134. Dame Peggy FennerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of vacancies in Kent.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the number of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres in Kent was 6,937. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. Recent research shows, nationally, only about one third of vacancies are notified to jobcentres. This proportion will tend to vary between different areas.
§ 135. Mr. DuffyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment, expressed as a percentage, according to the latest available figures for the Sheffield travel-to-work area; and what was the figure 10 years ago.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area was 31,687 or 11.2 per cent. of employees in employment plus the unemployed. The corresponding figure for the Sheffield 1978 travel-to-work area in January 1979 was 13,771 or 4.6 per cent. The figures are affected by the changes in the boundaries of travel-to-work areas as well as in the coverage of the unemployment count, and are therefore not comparable.
§ 138. Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment in Basildon; and what were the corresponding figures for the same period in each of the last four years.
§ Mr. LeeThe table shows the number of unemployed claimants in Basildon local authority area for each January from 1986 to 1989. The figures are affected by the change in the compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and by the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to the introduction of new benefit regulations for young people aged under 18.
Unemployment in Basildon local authority area January Number of unemployed claimants 1986 9,073 1987 8,695 1988 6,287 1989 4,145
§ 144. Mr. HanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people in employment in London.
§ Mr. LeeIn September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available the civilian work force in employment in Greater London was 4,014,000. This represents an increase of 253,000 or 7 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
§ 149. Mr. AshbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the east midlands.
§ Mr. LeeIn September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available the civilian work force in employment in the east midlands region was 1,836,000. This represents192W an increase of 219,000 or 14 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
§ 150. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rate of unemployment in the north-west in January and February; and what was the rate recorded in January and February 1988.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the north-west was 9.6 per cent., compared with 11.6 per cent. and 11.4 per cent. on the same basis, in January and February 1988 respectively.
The February 1989 unemployment figures are not available until 16 March.
§ 151. Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment in which regions of the United Kingdom the rate of unemployment has fallen fastest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the 12 months to January 1989 the largest falls in the regional seasonally adjusted unemployment rates, were in the west midlands, 2.5 percentage points, and Wales 2.2 percentage points, compared with the United Kingdom average of 1.9 percentage points.
§ 162. Mr. SummersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of long-term unemployed aged 16 to 24 years in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.
§ Mr. LeeIn January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants aged 16 to 24 years who had been unemployed for more than 12 months in the United Kingdom was 136,969 compared with 258,470 in January 1983. The comparison is affected by the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to new benefit regulations for those young people aged under 18.
§ 164. Mr. David MartinTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current employment position in the United Kingdom.
§ 168. Mr. KirkhopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeBetween March 1983 and September 1988 the work force in employment in the United Kingdom increased by 2,813,000 to 26,374,000, the highest level on record. This rising trend has now continued for more than five years. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed, HM forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
§ 169. Mr. RoweTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many women are now working; how many were working in 1986; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn September 1988 the latest date for which figures are available the female work force in employment in Great Britain was 11,059,000. In September 1986 it was 10,276,000. This represents an increase of 8 per cent.
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§ 171. Mr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the south-west of England.
§ Mr. LeeIn September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the south-west region was 1,982,000. This represents an increase of 224,000 or 13 per cent. since September 1983. Th civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.