§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of young people who are likely to be seeking work between 1978 and 1983; if he will indicate the extent to which the number of persons of working age, 16 to 64 years, is expected to increase over the period; and whether he has made any plans to deal with the problem.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe numbers of school leavers seeking employment are expected to increase from 15,600 in 1978 to 15,900 in 1983. The most recent projections of the Northern Ireland labour force were prepared in 1974 and are currently being revised. On the basis of the 1974 calculations the labour force is projected to increase by 5.4 per cent. between 1978 and 1983, from 592,000 to 624,000.
Growth of the labour force is not of itself a problem. In addition to short term measures to alleviate the current high unemployment I am continuing with measures intended to ensure that employment opportunities in the longer term are not only commensurate with 283W the growth in labour supply but are sufficient to reduce structural unemployment.