HC Deb 06 February 1978 vol 943 cc436-8W
Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment further to the Written Answers to the hon. Member for Blaby on 25th January and 30th January if he will provide comparable figures for the unemployment rates in Australia, Finland, Norway, Spain and Sweden for the fourth quarter of 1977.

Mr. Golding

Of the countries listed, seasonally adjusted unemployment rates, adjusted to US concepts, are available only for Sweden: 2.0 for October-November.

The latest available figures for the remaining countries are given below, but these are not comparable with either the US concepts or with each other:

Australia 5.4 (Third quarter 1977)
Finland 6.2 (Third quarter 1977)
Norway 0.7 (Third quarter 1977)
Spain 5.2 (Second quarter 1977)

These rates are unadjusted for seasonal variations except in the case of Finland.

Source: OECD Main Economic Indicators, December 1977.

Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a table showing the latest available unemployment rates in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Canada and the United States of America on precisely the same basis as is used by Her Majesty's Government in Table 5.15 of Social Trends, 1977, headed "Unemployment rates adjusted to US concepts: international comparisons".

Mr. Golding

The latest information for all countries except Sweden was given in reply to the hon. Member for Chertsey and Walton (Mr. Pattie) on 30th January.—[Vol. 943, c. 58.] The latest information for Sweden is given in reply to the hon. Member's further Question for Written Answer today.

Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if the figures for unemployment in December in the United States of America, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom which he gave the House, Official Report, 30th January, c. 67, were on the basis of the various different national definitions, and therefore not comparable between countries, or on the basis of international definitions, and therefore comparable; and, in the latter event, what international definition was used.

Mr. Booth

The figures referred to are from OECD sources but represent national definitions.

Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a table showing the latest unemployment rates in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Canada and the United States of America on precisely the same basis as is used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in table 8 on page 28 of Economic Outlook, December 1977, headed "Adjusted unemployment rates in selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries".

Mr. Golding

The information contained in table 8 on page 28 of Economic Outlook, December 1977, is the latest available data on this basis.