§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment, taking into account the expected increase in the 79W working population of 600,000 by 1979, what will be the total unemployed at the 3 per cent. target level.
§ Mr. GoldingAn increase in the working population was taken into account in arriving at the target of 3 per cent. set by the Government for 1979. The expected level of unemployment at the end of 1979 is 700,000.
Bridgwater Total unemployed Burnham-on-Sea Minehead School leavers unemployed* North- West Somerset careers office July 1974 434 169 141 3 July 1975 984 307 288 130 July 1976 1,304 439 436 238 * Figures for school leavers are based mainly on careers office areas which can differ from employment office areas. Accordingly, in certain districts, including Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea and Mine-head, figures for unemployed school leavers are not separately identifiable for employment office areas. In the case of Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea, most unemployed school leavers are included in the figures for the North-West Somerset careers office, which also include some school leavers in adjoining areas. Estimates of unemployed school leavers in Minehead are not available because the district falls within the much wider area covered by the Taunton careers office.