§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about levels of unemployment in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East; and what the rates were in(a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [148402]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Dr. Ashok Kumar dated 19 January 2004:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. I am replying in his absence. (148402)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following the internationally standard International Labour Organisation definitions. For Parliamentary constituencies, information about unemployment rates, but not levels, is available. The unemployment rate in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency for the 12 month period ending February 2002 was 8.1 per cent. The LFS sample size is too small to give comparable information for 1997. LFS estimates are not available at Parliamentary constituency level for 1992. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
1030WONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA) for local areas including Parliamentary constituencies. The table following shows the average total level of Jobseeker's Allowance claimants and the percentage of the working age population in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Constituency for 1997 and 2001. Comparable figures for 1992 are not available as the constituency did not exist in its current form at that time.
People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency Number 1Rate Annual average 1997 3,462 6.1 Annual average 2001 2,427 4.3 1 People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance as a percentage of the 2001 Census working age population adjusted to 2001 mid-year population estimates for local authorities.