HC Deb 20 July 1954 vol 530 cc91-2W
Mr. Langford-Holt

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed in Shrewsbury to the latest convenient date; and what proportion of this number is unemployed in the full sense and what proportion represents persons changing employment.

Mr. Watkinson

186 at 14th June. It is not possible to classify these into the two categories mentioned in the Question, but 79 of the total had been continuously on the registers for not more than four weeks.

Mr. Langford-Holt

asked the Minister of Labour what categories of persons are registered as unemployed in Shrewsbury.

Mr. Watkinson

The following table gives an analysis of the numbers unemployed at 14th June, according, to the industry in which they were last employed:

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF THE SHREWSBURY EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AT 14TH JUNE, 1954.
Industry Males Females Total
Distributive trades 21 12 33
Building and civil engineering contracting 15 15
National Government service 10 3 13
Local Government service 12 12
Catering, hotels, etc. 4 8 12
Agriculture, horticulture, etc. 7 1 8
Metal goods manufacture 6 1 7
All other industries and services 52 34 86
Total, all industries and services 127 59 186

Mr. Langford-Holt

asked the Minister of Labour the average number of unemployed registered in Shrewsbury for each year since the war.

Mr. Watkinson

The average numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of the Shrewsbury employment exchange were as follows:

1945 (July—December) 59
1946 102
1947 197*
1948 141
1949 174
1950 207
1951 167
1952 179
1953 208
1954 (January—June) 224
* The figures for February and March, 1947, were abnormally high owing to the fuel and power crisis. If the figures of those two months were omitted the average for the year would be 127.