HC Deb 09 February 1976 vol 905 cc60-1W
Mr. John Moore

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the numbers and percentages of those unemployed who were under 25 years of age on 1st January 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1976; and what is the current trend in this age group.

Mr. John Fraser

Age analyses of the unemployed have been made in January and July each year since 1962. Prior to 1962, information was collected in June and December. In the following table figures have been given, where available, for both January and July in each year since 1973 to indicate recent trends.

Numbers unemployed aged under 25 years Percentage of total unemployed Per cent.
December 1959 85,963 21.4
January 1965 88,872 24.6
January 1970 152,119 25.0
January 1973 241,469 30.3
July 1973 154,256 27.5
January 1974 * *
July 1974 174,122 30.4
January 1975
July 1975 436,226 41.9
January 1976 453,498‡ 36.2
* Because of an energy crisis, information about the ages of the unemployed was not collected.
† Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, figures for January 1975 are not available.
‡As from October 1975, analyses of unemployment by industry, age, duration, etc., exclude adult students. Accordingly the January 1976 figure in the total is not comparable with earlier figures. The numbers of adult students included in the unemployment figures for July 1974 and July 1975 respectively were 24,400 and 92,000, epresenting[...] 4.3 per cent. and 8.9 per cent. of unemployed; most of these are likely to een[...] under 25.