§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate what the unemployment level would have been for the United Kingdom if inactive jobseekers were included in the totals in each year from 1992 to the present; [20097]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed people in the United Kingdom who were not active in their search for employment but wished to be employed, in each year from 1992 to the present. [20096]
§ Mrs. Angela Knight[holding answer 17 March 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 19 March 1997:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent questions on time series of the numbers of people unemployed, inactive job seekers and people who were not active in their search for employment but wished to be employed.Estimates available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are shown in the attached table. The LFS uses the widely accepted International Labour Office (ILO) definition of unemployment. The ILO measure covers people who were available to start work in the two weeks following their LFS interview and who had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview of were waiting to start a job they had already obtained.People who would like a job, but have not sought one in the last four weeks, or have looked for work but are not available to start in the next two weeks are not unemployed according to the ILO definition. However, the ONS appreciates that there is a lot of interest in these groups. We regularly publish information about the numbers and characteristics of these people in the LFS Quarterly Bulletin. For example, table 31 in Quarterly Bulletin Number 18, published in December 1996 shows that 6 per cent of those in 620W Great Britain who wanted a job, but were not seeking one were "discouraged workers" (i.e. they were not looking for work because they believed no jobs were available).Detailed analyses of any aspect of the LFS, including the groups you have asked about, are possible via the publicly accessible LFS database.The Labour Force Survey Quarterly Bulletin is available in the House of Commons Library. The LFS database can also be accessed via the House of Commons Library.
People who are ILO unemployed or are economically inactive and would like a job ILO unemployed Inactive wanting a job of which: Seeking workM2 Not seeking work3 19921 2,769 326 1,707 1993 2,936 324 1,972 1994 2,736 276 2,155 1995 2,454 283 2,153 1996 2,334 227 2,261 1 In spring 1992 only the inactive people of working age (men 16–64, women 16–59) were asked if they wanted a job. People over working age were not asked. All inactive people aged 16 and over were asked the question in other years. 2 But not available to start within next two weeks. 3 Within last four weeks. Also note that more detailed analysis of this category is available in the LFS Quarterly Bulletin. Source:
ONS, Labour Force Survey.
§ Mr. TrickettTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees work in a workplace which employs fewer than 10 people in the Hemsworth constituency. [20725]
§ Mrs. KnightThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jon Trickett, dated 19 March 1997:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on how many employees work in a workplace which employs fewer than 10 people in the Hemsworth constituency.Information is available from the Annual Employment Survey on workplace units employing between 1 and 10 employees (inclusive). At September 1995 there were 3"300 employees working at such workplaces in the Hemsworth parliamentary constituency.