Mr. W. Joseph Stewartasked the Minister of Labour and National Service whether he can state the number of persons now unemployed in Durham County from 18 years of age and upwards and the duration of their unemployment?
§ Mr. E. Brown,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 31st October, 1939; col. 1764, Vol. 352] supplied the following statement:
The total numbers of unemployed persons, aged 18 years and over, on the registers of employment exchanges in the County of Durham (including the associated county boroughs) at nth September, 1939, were 56,305 men and 8,234 women. The latest date for which an analysis according to duration of unemployment is available is 14th August, 1939. At that date the total numbers of unemployed men and women on the register of employment exchanges in the County of Durham were 59,734 and and 4,452 respectively, of whom 58,109 men and 3,605 women were applicants for benefit or unemployment allowances. An analysis of the latter figures according to the length of the last spell of registered unemployment is given below:
Men. Women. Less than 3 months 21,026 2,451 3 months but less than 6 months 4,925 447 6 months but less than 9 months 3.892 229 9 months but less than 12 months 4,790 114 1 year but less than 2 years 8,056 167 2 years but less than 3 years 4,110 77 3 years but less than 4 years 3,522 41 4 years but less than 5 years 1,746 23 5 years or more 6,042 56 Total, claimants and applicants 58,109 3,605