§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the total number unemployed both in absolute figures and as a percentage of the total work force in each October since 1945.
§ Mr. GoldingThe present series of unemployment statistics started in July 1948. The following table gives the information for Great Britain at October each year from 1948. The unemployment percentage rates are based on the estimated total numbers of employees—employed and unemployed—which differ from the total work force in that they exclude self-employed persons and members of Her Majesty's Forces.
Total unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment October 1948 308,965 1.5 October 1949 293,950 1.4 October 1950 297,400 1.4 October 1951 234,454 1.1 October 1952 350,671 1.7 October 1953 298,954 1.4 October 1954 243,478 1.1 October 1955 202,062 0.9 October 1956 239,341 1.1 October 1957 267,030 1.2 October 1958 451,165 2.1 October 1959 407,501 1.9 October 1960 313,211 1.4 October 1961 322,527 1.4 October 1962 467,612 2.0 October 1963 461,738 2.0 October 1964 340,299 1.5 October 1965 309,201 1.3 October 1966 374,639 1.6 October 1967 531,647 2.3 October 1968 538,762 2.3 October 1969 542,600 2.4 October 1970 576,265 2.5 October 1971 818,523 3.7 October 1972 789,482 3.5 October 1973 506,785 2.2 October 1974 610,259 2.7 October 1975 1,098,632 4.8 October 1976 1,320,923 5.7 October 1977 1,456,583 6.2