§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are employed, unemployed, self-employed and retired; how many of the employed are dependent on the level of public expenditure for employment or are in jobs which are paid for out of public
Category Number Date Number of Employed … … 495,695 June 1976 Number of Unemployed … … 61,944 May 1978 Number of Self-Employed* … 74,449 June 1976 Number of Retired … … 190,000 November 1977 * From 1975 onwards estimates of the number of self-employed persons, except for agriculture, have been assumed constant with the level in 1974 pending a new method of estimation. At June 1976, 109,880 persons were employed in the central and local government sectors.
The statement made in the House on 15th March 1978 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment announced the extension of the temporary employment subsidy, the small firms employment subsidy and the job release scheme in broadly similar form for a further year from 1st April. The effect of these schemes on public sector employment is nil.