Unemployed Persons (Hansard, 29 March 1977)

§ 19. Mr. Knox
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed in the United Kingdom: at the most recent count; and if he will make a statement.
89W

§ Mr. Booth
At 10th March 1,383,773 people were registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom. This figure is provisional. The fall in unemployment, for the second month in succession, is encouraging and may well be in part a result of the success of the Government's special measures. I would, however, wish to see a downward trend over some months before believing that we are over the hump.

§ 20. Mr. Skinner
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what further steps he is taking to reduce unemployment: and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Booth
I announced measures to reduce unemployment as recently as 3rd March 1977. Further to that, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement earlier to day.

§ 23. Mr. Dykes
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the figures for registered adult unemployed persons in the Greater London area in each of the years from 1970 to 1976, inclusive.

§ Mr. Golding
Age analyses of the numbers unemployed are made in respect of January and July each year. The available information is:

Numbers aged 18 years and over registered as unemployed in Greater London

January July

1970 … … … 61,000 53,588

1971 … … … 61,936 63,371

1972 … … … 81,273 72,060

1973 … … … 74,162 50,613

1974 … … … 52,096

1975 … … … 95,123

1976 … … … 132,595 139,480

Information was not collected in January 1974 because of an energy crisis and in January 1975 because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency.
Adult students are excluded from the figures from July 1972 but are included for earlier dates. At July 1972, the number so excluded was 1,372.

§ 25. Mr. Tebbit
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is, in arithmetical terms, the progress that has been 90W made since March 1974 towards the Government's election commitment to the reduction of unemployment.

§ Mr. Golding
Unfortunately, none.

§ 34. Mr. Peter Bottomley
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the levels of unemployment in August 1945, March 1950. October 1951, June 1955, October 1959, November 1964, April 1966, July 1970, December 1973, March 1974, October 1974, and at the latest available date.

§ Mr. Golding
The information available is as follows. The present series of statistics commenced in 1948 and earlier information is not strictly comparable. The following table shows the numbers registered as unemployed in Great Britain, excluding school leavers and seasonally adjusted, together with the corresponding rates of unemployment.

… Numbers registered as unemployed Percentage rates of unemployment

March 1950 … 302,100 1.5

October 1951 … 234,000 1.1

June 1955 … 210,200 1.0

October 1959 … 411,400 1.9

November 1964 … 323,400 1.4

April 1966 … 275,000 1.2

July 1970 … 569,800 2.5

December 1973 … 486,800 2.1

March 1974 … 554,900 2.4

October 1974 … 608,400^* 2.7

March 1977 … 1,268,100 5.5

^* Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency the figures for October 1974 include estimates.

§ Mr. MacGregor
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the totals for unemployment in England and Wales in each of the years from 1970 to 1976; and, of these, what proportion in each year took place in the first three months of the year.

§ Mr. Golding
The numbers registered as unemployed are counted on a selected day in each month and the figures in column I are the averages of all monthly counts made in each year. Column 2 gives the averages of the counts made in January, February and March only and 91W these are expressed as percentages of the annual averages in column 3.

NUMBERS REGISTERD AS UNEMPLOYED IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Annul average Average of first three months of the year Col. (2) as a percentage of col. (1)

(1) (2) (3)

1970 … 486,467 516,025 106.1

1971 … 627,904 571,893 91.1

1972 … 699,016 776,523 111.1

1973 … 490,537 602,711 122.9

1974 … 498,857^* 503,012 100.8

1975 … 812,203 653,712 79.4

1976 … 1,149,896^* 1,009,280 95.6

^* Because of industrial action by staff in the Department of Employment Group the counts of the numbers unemployed in December 1974 and November and December 1976 were not made. The annual averages are based on 11 months for 1974 and 10 months for 1976.

Numbers aged 18 years and over registered as unemployed in Greater London
				January	July
1970	…	…	…	61,000	53,588
1971	…	…	…	61,936	63,371
1972	…	…	…	81,273	72,060
1973	…	…	…	74,162	50,613
1974	…	…	…		52,096
1975	…	…	…		95,123
1976	…	…	…	132,595	139,480

	…	Numbers registered as unemployed	Percentage rates of unemployment
March 1950	…	302,100	1.5
October 1951	…	234,000	1.1
June 1955	…	210,200	1.0
October 1959	…	411,400	1.9
November 1964	…	323,400	1.4
April 1966	…	275,000	1.2
July 1970	…	569,800	2.5
December 1973	…	486,800	2.1
March 1974	…	554,900	2.4
October 1974	…	608,400^*	2.7
March 1977	…	1,268,100	5.5
^* Because of industrial action at local offices of the Employment Service Agency the figures for October 1974 include estimates.

NUMBERS REGISTERD AS UNEMPLOYED IN ENGLAND AND WALES
		Annul average	Average of first three months of the year	Col. (2) as a percentage of col. (1)
		(1)	(2)	(3)
1970	…	486,467	516,025	106.1
1971	…	627,904	571,893	91.1
1972	…	699,016	776,523	111.1
1973	…	490,537	602,711	122.9
1974	…	498,857^*	503,012	100.8
1975	…	812,203	653,712	79.4
1976	…	1,149,896^*	1,009,280	95.6
^* Because of industrial action by staff in the Department of Employment Group the counts of the numbers unemployed in December 1974 and November and December 1976 were not made. The annual averages are based on 11 months for 1974 and 10 months for 1976.