§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the number of working days lost due to strike action per 1,000 people employed during the period January to June in each of the member countries of the EEC.
§ Mr. Jim LesterIn January to June 1979 there were 333 working days lost from industrial disputes per thousand persons employed in all industries and services in the United Kingdom. Similar estimates for other members of the EEC are available only annually from the Statistical Office of the European Communities. The figures for 1978 will be published in theDepartment of Employment Gazette early next year.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average duration of unemployment for each person unemployed in each year since 1950.
§ Mr. Jim LesterFigures are not available for the average length of time spent on the unemployment register for a person who has completed a period of unemployment. Data are compiled for the median lengths of time spent on the unemployment register by persons still 551W unemployed on the date of the count. The table below gives these medians for Great Britain on one quarterly count date each year since 1950.
MEDIAN LENGTH OF TIME REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED. GREAT BRITIAN Number of weeks September 1950 … … … … 5.5 1951 … … … … 4.0 1952 … … … … 5.3 1953 … … … … 5.1 1954 … … … … 4.5 1955 … … … … 4.0 1956 … … … … 4.7 1957 … … … … 5.6 1958 … … … … 7.2 1959 … … … … 8.8 1960 … … … … 8.6 1961 … … … … 7.0 October 1962 … … … … 7.5 1963 … … … … 9.4 1964 … … … … 8.3 1965 … … … … 7.3 1966 … … … … 5.5 1967 … … … … 9.4 1968 … … … … 9.9 1969 … … … … 9.5 1970 … … … … 10.1 1971 … … … … 11.4 1972 … … … … 14.6 1973 … … … … 15.6 1974 … … … … 11.4 1975 … … … … 11.8 1976 … … … … 17.6 1977 … … … … 18.5 1978 … … … … 19.6 1979 … … … … 19.2 Notes:
The month of the quarterly counts changed in 1962. Adult students registered for vacation employment are excluded from 1973 onwards.