HC Deb 04 December 1969 vol 792 cc334-5W
Mr. Pardoe

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the average annual unemployment rate in each of the development areas in the years 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968 and what is the estimated rate for 1969; what was the total number of people unemployed; what was the total number of vacancies; and what was the excess or otherwise of those seeking employment over jobs available.

Mr. Dell

The present development areas were designated in August, 1966. Information about the numbers of persons registered as unemployed, and notified vacancies remaining unfilled, are available for each month from that date. The following table shows annual averages of the figures for 1967 and 1968 together with the averages from January to November, 1969. The vacancy statistics relate only to the vacancies that were notified to this Department and remained unfilled on the day of the count. They do not purport to measure total demand for labour.

AVERAGES OF THE NUMBERS REGISTERED A S UNEMPLOYED, AND OF NOTIFIED VACANCIES REMAINING UNFILLED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AREAS
Percentage rate of unemployment Total registered unemployed Registered wholly unemployed Notified vacancies remaining unfilled Amount by which registered wholly unemployed exceed notified vacancies remaining unfilled
South Western DA
1967 4.8 6,422 6,319 1,624 4,695
1968 4.8 6,444 6,379 1,903 4,476
1969* 4.8 6,505 6,471 2,226 4,245
Merseyside DA
1967 3.3 26,588 26,097 6,313 19,784
1968 3.2 26,431 26,202 7,092 19,110
1969* 3.6 29,091 28,292 6,561 21,731
Northern DA
1967 4.0 54,423 52,950 9,831 43,119
1968 4.6 62,678 61,747 10,952 50,795
1969* 4.8 64,656 63,640 11,895 51,745
Scottish DA
1967 4.2 80,641 76,841 12,978 63,863
1968 4.1 78,109 75,999 15,237 60,762
1969* 3.9 75,532 73,593 16,309 57,284
Welsh DA
1967 4.6 29,611 28,945 5,234 23,711
1968 4.5 28,640 28,516 5,176 23,340
1969* 4.6 29,513 28,641 5,965 22,676
*The averages shown for 1969 relate to the period January to November.

Date started Expected date of report
New Earnings Survey September 1968 Six instalments of results already published. Final report about March or April 1970
Total Labour Costs November 1968 March 1970
Occupational trends in the Printing and Publishing Industry January 1967 March 1970
Occupational trends in the Hotels and Catering Industry October 1967 Eight reports from March 1970 to January 1971
Computers in offices and office manpower August 1968 December 1970
*Operation of the Redundancy Payments Act April 1968 Preliminary report November 1969
*Ex-Government Training Centre trainees April 1968 February 1970
*Youth Employment Study December 1968 March 1971
*Dismissal and disciplinary procedures January 1969 December 1969
*These surveys are being carried out by the Government Social Survey on behalf of the Department of Employment and Productivity.