HC Deb 14 June 1972 vol 838 c351W
Mr. Coombs

asked the Secretary of State for Employment with regard to men and women in Great Britain, separately, how many had been out of work for eight weeks or less, expressed as a percentage of the wholly unemployed, excluding school-leavers, in the spring of each year 1963 to 1972.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Following is the information:

NUMBERS OF WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED MEN AND WOMEN AGED 18 YEARS AND OVER WHO HAD BEEN REGISTERED FOR UP TO EIGHT WEEKS AS PERCENTAGES OF ALL REGISTERED WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED MALES AND FEMALES. EXCEPT SCHOOL-LEAVERS, IN GREAT BRITAIN
Men Women
May, 1963 30.7 38.6
May, 1964 32.8 40.2
May, 1965 36.4 42.7
May, 1966 38.7 45.4
May, 1967 35.7 41.6
May, 1968 34.5 40.9
May, 1969 34.3 42.1
May, 1970 34.5 40.7
May, 1971 34.6 38.8
May 1972 26.3 33.4

PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT
May, 1972 May, 1971 May, 1970
Ormskirk and Skelmersdale travel-to-work area, which includes Skelmersdale New Town … 6.4 3.9 2.7
Merseyside Development Area … … … 6.9 5.4 4.0
South West Lancashire (that is, the Leigh, Wigan and Warrington travel-to-work areas) … 4.5 3.3 2.2
North West region … … … … 4.9 3.8 2.7
Great Britain … … … … … 3.8 3.3 2.5