§ Mr. FREEMANasked the Minister of Labour whether she has any figures or
Unemployment statistics in respect of five countries, consisting largely of figures showing the percentage of unemployment among members of trade unions from the beginning of the present century, are summarised in the following table. The figures, as far as possible, represent for each year, the average unemployment during the year. Owing to wide variations in the industries and the numbers of workers to which the figures for the various countries relate at the different dates, the degree of comparability which they justify as between the different countries for any one year or for each particular country throughout the period covered is necessarily affected. A dash indicates that figures are not available.
2008W
Average Annual Unemployment in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Germany, and the United States of America from the Year 1900 onwards. Year. Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Australia. Belgium. Unemployment among Trade Unionists. Unemployment among Insured Persons. Unemployment among Trade Unionists. Unemployment among Trade Unionists. Unemployment among members of Unemployment Insurance Societies. Yearly average of Percentages Unemployed at end of each month. Average Percentage of Insured Workers recorded as Unemployed. Percentage Unemployed.(c) Percentage Unemployed. Days of Unemployment expressed as a percentage of the maximum possible number of work-days. 1900 … 2.5 — — — — 1901 … 3.3 — 6.6 — — 1902 … 4.0 — — — — 1903 … 4.7 — — 3.4 — 1904 … 6.0 — — 3.0 — 1905 … 5.0 — — 2.1 — 1906 … 3.6 — 6.7 1.8 — 1907 … 3.7 — 5.7 2.0 — 1908 … 7.8 — 6.0 5.8 — 1909 … 7.7 — 5.8 3.4 — 1910 … 4.7 — 5.6 2.0 — 1911 … 3.0 — 4.7 1.9 — 1912 … 3.2 — 5.5 1.9 — 1913 … 2.1 — 5.3 2.7 (d) — 1914 … 3.3 — 11.0 3.9 (e) — 1915 … 1.1 — 6.8 — — 1916 … 0.4 — 6.7 — — 1917 … 0.7 — 7.4 — — 1918 … 0.8 — 5.5 — — 1919 … 2.4 — 5.2 — — 1920 … 2.4 — 6.5 — — 1921 … 14.8 (a) 17.0(a) (b) 11.2 — — 1922 … 15.2 14.3 9.2 — — 1923 … 11.3 11.7 7.1 — — 1924 … 8.1 10.3 8.9 — 2.2 1925 … 10.5 11.3 8.8 — 1.9 1926 … 12.2 (a) 12.5 (a) (b) 7.1 — 2.0 1927 … — 9.7 7.0 — 2.5 1928 … — 10.8 10.8 — 1.7 1929 … — 10.4 11.1 — 1.9 1930 … — 15.0 16.6 — 3.8 (January—September). (First & Second Quarters). (January—June). other information indicating the growth of unemployment in various countries the during the present century?
§ Miss BONDFIELD,pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 30th October, 1930; col. 181, Vol. 244], supplied the following information:
2009W
Year. Germany. United States of America. Unemployment among Trade Unionists. Unemployment among Trade Unionists. Index of Employment in Manufacturing industries. New York State. Massachusetts. American Federation of Labour. Percentage of members wholly Unemployed. Percentage Unemployed. Percentage Unemployed Percentage Unemployed. (1923=100) 1900 … — — — — — 1901 … — — — — — 1902 … — — — — — 1903 … 2.7 — — — — 1904 … 2.1 12.1 — — — 1905 … 1.6 8.5 — — — 1906 … 1.1 6.8 — — — 1907 … 1.6 13.6 — — — 1908 … 2.9 28.0 12.6 — — 1909 … 2.8 14.9 6.6 — — 1910 … 1.9 13.6 6.1 — — 1911 … 1.9 18.7 6.6 — — 1912 … 2.0 15.2 5.2 — — 1913 … 2.9 20.9 6.6 — — 1914 … 7.2 27.5 11.1 — — 1915 … 3.2 22.7 11.1 — — 1916 … 2.2 11.1 3.3 — — 1917 … 1.0 — 4.6 — — 1918 … 1.2 — 3.4 — — 1919 … 3.7 — 5.4 — — 1920 … 3.8 — 16.4 — 109.9 1921 … 2.8 — — — 85.1 1922 … 1.5 — — — 88.4 1923 … 9.6 — — — 100.0 1924 … 13.5 — — — 90.3 1925 … 6.7 — — — 91.2 1926 … 18.0 — — — 91.9 1927 … 8.7 — — 14.0 (f) 88.6 1929 … 13.3 — — 12.0 89.6 1930 … 21.2 — — 21.0 79.7 (January—August). (January—September). (January—August). (a) Affected by general coal mining stoppage. (b) Exclusive of persons in the coal mining industry disqualified for unemployment benefit by reason of trade disputes. (c) Prior to 1920, the figures relate to the end of the year; from 1920 onwards they represent the annual average, (d) Average for 11 months. (e) Average for 6 months. (f) This figure relates to period October—December only.