§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the current method of indicating the figures for unemployment and job vacancies is a reliable guide to the labour market; what study he has made of alternative methods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BoothThe present detailed presentation of the statistics gives a comprehensive picture of labour market conditions, and particularly of changes in these conditions. I would refer the hon. Member to the article "The Unemployment statistics and their Interpretation" in the March 1975 issue of the Department of EmploymentGazette. The regular unemployment statistics are already supplemented by results from household surveys. I am considering possible methods of collecting additional information on the number of vacancies.