Local Unemployment Rates (Hansard, 20 June 1978)

§ Mr. Harold Walker

My Department has recently completed a review of the groupings of employment office areas into travel-to-work areas, which are the smallest areas for which meaningful unemployment rates can be calculated. The travel-to-work areas hitherto in use were, in the 127W main, based on information from the 1961 Census of Population. As a result of changes in travel-to-work patterns since then, the published local unemployment rates in some cases no longer accurately reflect the local employment situation.

People normally register as unemployed at the employment office nearest their home, while statistics for those in employment relate to their place of work. An unemployment rate, expressing the number of the registered unemployed as a percentage of the total number of insured employees—employed and unemployed—is meaningful only if it relates to an area which is self-contained in travel-to-work terms, that is, if the great majority of the people who work in the area also live there, and vice versa. When a single employment office area does not meet these criteria it is grouped with one or more other employment office areas with which it does form a relatively self-contained travel-to-work area.

The recent review was based on travel-to-work data obtained from the 1971 Census of Population and also took account of developments which have affected travel-to-work patterns since the Census was taken.

The majority of travel-to-work areas will remain unchanged, but the review has led to the introduction of a number of new groupings. I have already consulted those hon. Members whose constituencies are affected by these changes.

Local unemployment percentage rates will be calculated on the basis of the revised network of travel-to-work areas with effect from the unemployment count taken on 8th June 1978. The following list shows those employment office areas which are affected in their new or revised travel-to-work groupings. Except where a separate travel-to-work area title is given, travel-to-work areas are known by the name of the first employment office area listed.

South-East

Aldershot, Camberley, Farnborough, Farnham, Fleet.
Bedford, Biggleswade.
Chatham, Gillingham, Gravesend.
Crawley, Burgess Hill, Dorking, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Redhill.
Guildford, Godalming, Woking.
Harlow, Bishops Stortford, Epping, Saffron Walden.

128W

Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston.
Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Liphook, Petersfield.
Ramsgate, Deal, Sandwich.
Southampton, Eastleigh, Hythe, Romsey, Winchester, Woolston.
Greater London Travel to Work Area covers Employment Offices in the GLC area plus Boreham Wood, Brentwood, Caterham, Dartford, Epsom, Esher, Leatherhead, Loughton, Staines, Waltham Cross, Weybridge. (The unemployment rate for the GLC area alone will continue to be published).

East Anglia

Ipswich, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Stow-market.
Mildenhall, Newmarket.
Thetford, Brandon, Swaffham.
Bury St. Edmunds (no longer to be grouped with other employment office areas).

South-West

Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Ringwood, Wimborne.
Cheltenham, Tewkesbury.
Chippenham, Corsham.
Torbay Travel to Work Area covers Ashburton, Bovey Tracey, Brixham, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Teignmouth, Torquay, Totnes.
Trowbridge, Melksham.

West Midlands

Birmingham, Aston, Bromsgrove, Chelmsley Wood, Erdington, Handsworth, Selly Oak, Small Heath, Solihull, Sparkhill, Sutton Coldtield, Tamworth, Washwood Heath.
Dudley & Sandwell Travel to Work Area covers Cradley Heath, Dudley, Halesowen, Kingswinford, Oldbury, Smethwick, Stour-bridge, Tipton, Wednesbury, West Bromwich.
Oakengates, Bridgnorth, Madeley, Wellington.
Walshall, Aldridge, Brownhills, Cannock, Darlaston, Lichfield, Rugeley, Willenhall.
Worcester, Droitwich, Malvern, Pershore.

East Midlands

Coalville, Swadlincote.
Derby, Belper.
Northampton, Daventry, Towcester.
Nottingham, Arnold, Basford and Bulwell, Beeston, Heanor, Hucknall, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Netherfield.
Stamford, Bourne, Oakham.

Yorkshire and Humberside

Halifax, Elland, Brighouse, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge.
Leeds, Bramley, Horsforth, Hunslet, Morley, Otley, Rothwell, Scacroft, Wetherby, Yeadon.
Sheffield, Chapeltown, Dinnington, Firth Park, Woodhouse.
Wakelield, Hemsworth, South Elmsall.

129W

North-west

Birkenhead, Bebington, Ellesmere Port, Hoy-lake, Neston, Wallasey.
Crewe, Congleton, Nantwich, Sandbach.
Liverpool, Allerton, Belle Vale, Bootle, Crosby, Garston, Kirkby, Old Swan, Prescot, Walton.

North

Alnwick, Amble.
Darlington and South West Durham Travel to Work Area covers Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon.
Central Durham Travel to Work Area covers Crook, Durham, Spennymoor.
Morpeth, Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth, Cramlington.
North Tyneside Travel to Work Area covers Newcastle on Tyne, Newburn, North Shields, Walker, Wallsend, West Moor, Whitley Bay.
South Tyneside Travel to Work Area covers Birtley, Blaydon, Chester-le-Street, East Boldon, Felling, Gateshead, Jarrow and Hebburn, Prudhoe, South Shields.
Wearside Travel to Work Area covers Houghton-le-Spring, Seaham, Southwick, Sunderland, Washington.
Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Millom.

Wales

Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Conwy.
Llanelli, Ammanford, Burry Port, Garnant, Kidwelly, Tumble.
Milford Haven, Haverfordwest.
Newport, Chepstow, Newbridge, Risca.
Swansea, Gorseinon, Morriston, Pontardawe, Ystradgynlais.

Scotland

Glasgow Area Travel to Work Area covers Barrhead, Cambuslang Clydebank, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Easterhouse, Glasgow Central, Glasgow City, Govan, Hillington Kilsyth, Kinning Park, Kirkintilloch, Maryhill, Parkhead, Partick, Rutherglen, Shawlands, Springburn.
Greenock, Largs, Port Glasgow.
Lanark, Carluke, Lesmahagow.
North Lanarkshire Travel to Work Area covers Airdrie, Bellshill, Blantyre, Coatbridge, Hamilton, Larkhall, Motherwell, Shotts, Uddingston, Wishaw.
Paisley, Johnstone, Kilbirnie, Renfrew.