§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing, for the latest available date, the percentage male unemployment in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, West Germany, Italy and Japan (a) on national definitions and (b) ort United States definitions.
§ Mr. GoldingThe information is as follows:
(a) The latest available percentage rates of unemployed males in the United Kingdom and the United States, using national definitions, are:
Recent unemployment rates for males on national definitions are not readily available for the remaining countries. However, rates for registered unemployed males, based on partially standardised national figures, are available from the 642W Statistical Office of the EEC. The latest rates, for April 1978, are:
United Kingdom (May 1978) … 7.0 United States (March 1978) … 6.3 National unemployment statistics are not comparable owing to differences in coverage, concept of unemployment and method of compilation. The degree of standardisation by the EEC is insufficient to eliminate these factors completely. No recent rate for unemployed males in Japan is available.
United Kingdom … … … 6.6 France … … … 3.8 West Germany … … … 3.1 Italy (provisional) … … … 6.5 (b) The United States does not publish male unemployment rates adjusted to United States concepts.