HC Deb 27 January 1976 vol 904 cc114-8W
40. Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the average numbers and percentage unemployed in Scotland and England, respectively, for each year since 1945.

Mr. John Fraser

The current series of unemployment statistics started in July 1948 and the following table shows annual averages from 1949:

Scotland England
Average numbers unemployed Percentage Average numbers unemployed Percentage
1959 … … … 88,608 4.1 321,716 1.7
1960 … … … 74,799 3.4 245,987 1.3
1961 … … … 64,555 3.0 225,587 1.2
1962 … … … 77,999 3.5 324,475 1.6
1963 … … … 98,197 4.5 389,154 2.0
1964 … … … 78,071 3.6 269,513 1.3
1965 … … … 63,392 2.9 228,051 1.1
1966 … … … 59,870 2.7 242,598 1.2
1967 … … … 80,815 3.7 400,695 2.0
1968 … … … 80,742 3.7 429,642 2.1
1969 … … … 79,345 3.7 425,279 2.1
1970 … … … 90,927 4.2 453,648 2.3
1971 … … … 124,758 5.9 588,577 3.1
1972 … … … 137,520 6.5 656,560 3.4
1973 … … … 98,892 4.6 462,569 2.4
1974* … … … 88,408 4.1 471,790 2.4
1975 … … … 116,536 5.4 811,038 4.1
*Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency, no count was made in December 1974. The figures for 1974 are averages of the remaining eleven months.

Mr. Henderson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the numbers and percentage unemployed in Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Switzerland and Austria at the most recent convenient date.

Mr. Booth

The table appended gives the numbers unemployed and the percentage rate of unemployment for each country for September 1975, the latest

NUMBERS UNEMPLOYED AND PERCENTAGE RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
Numbers Unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment
September 1975 Latest available September 1975 Latest available
Scotland … 129,561 162,123* (January 1976) 6.0 7.5* (January 1976)
Norway … 20,400 24,100 (November 1975) 1.3 1.3 (September 1975)
Sweden … 76,000 64,000 (December 1975) 1.8 1.6 (December 1975)
Finland … 50,000 50,000 (September 1975) 2.1 2.1 (September 1975)
Switzerland … 12,499 12,449 (September 1975) N.A. N.A
Austria … 40,000 54,000 (October 1975) 1.5 2.0 (October 1975)
*Provisional.

NOTES:

(1) In Finland and Sweden unemployment is measured by labour force sample survey statistics. The date for other countries are based on employment office statistics

(2) The figures in the table are not seasonally adjusted

Sources:

Scotland—Department of Employment.

Norway, Finland, Austria—Main Economic Indicators, OECD

Sweden—National Central Bureau of Statistics, Stockholm.

Switzerland-Bulletin of Labour Statistics, International Labour Office.

Mr. Marten

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out a table showing the unemployment figures on a percentage basis, for each of the last 12 months for the following countries, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland. Italy, Norway and Sweden.

date for which information is generally available, and also for the latest month for each country.

It is regretted that unemployment data for Iceland and a percentage rate of unemployment for Switzerland are not available from international sources.

The figures reflect different national concepts and practices in measuring unemployment and are not strictly comparable.

Mr. Booth

The table attached gives the information for the 12 months to December 1975. An official percentage rate is not available for France but an estimate of the rate has been made by this Department based on available data. The figures reflect different national concepts and practices in measuring unemployment and are not strictly comparable.

PERCENTAGE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT(1) IN THE TWELVE MONTHS TO DECEMBER 1975
1975
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Germany(2), (8) … … 5.0 5.2 4.9 4.7 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.6 4.9 5.3
France(2), (9) … … 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.7 4.3 4.7 4.7 N.A.
Belgium(2), (4) … … 5.6 5.8 5.9 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.5 6.6 7.0 7.9 8.2 8.7
Holland(2), (8) … … 4.8 4.9 4.6 4.5 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.7 4.8 5.1 4.9 5.4
Italy(3), (5), (7) … … 3.1 — — 3.4 — — 3.3 — — N.A. — —
Norway(2), (7) … … 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.3 N.A. N.A. N.A.
Sweden(3), (6), (8) … … 1.9 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6

Notes:

(1) Figures not seasonally adjusted.

(2) Employment Office statistics; registered unemployed.

(3) Labour force sample surveys.

(4) Wholly unemployed receiving insurance benefits, as percentage of total insured.

(5) Figures published quarterly.

(6) Persons aged 16 to 74 years.

(7) Unemployed as percentage of civilian labour force.

(8) Unemployed as percentage of total employees.

(9) Rate, as percentage of civilian labour force, calculated by Department of Employment.

Sources:

Italy and Norway—Bulletin of Labour Statistics, International Labour Office.

France—Ministère du Travail, Paris.

Germany—Bundesanstadt fur Arbeit, Nurenburg.

Belgium—Office National De L'Emploi, Brussels.

Holland—Ministerie Van Sociale Zaken, The Hague.

Sweden—National Central Bureau of Statistics, Stockholm.