§ 23. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in view of the high registered unemployment figures in Essex and elsewhere despite the many unfilled vacancies for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled jobs, he will 467W describe what special measures are being taken to persuade school leavers and others without work to accept employment in such vacancies.
§ Mr. Jim LesterIt is normal practice for both the careers service and the employment service to submit suitable unemployed persons to outstanding notified vacancies. In recent years the careers service has been strengthened by the appointment of specialists to deal solely with unemployed young people.
Any person who places unreasonable restrictions on the type of work he or she will consider or who declines to take up an employer's offer of a job is liable to incur a penalty affecting his or her entitlement to unemployment benefit or supplementary benefit or both.
The co-existence of unemployment and unfilled vacancies is not unusual. Some unemployment is always generated by flows in and out of jobs, but more importantly the requirements of particular employers cannot necessarily be met from the labour available.
The Manpower Services Commission has recently made a study of hard-to-fill vacancies which concluded that these vacancies usually arise for reasons with which it is not within the Commission's competence to deal. There is, nevertheless, some scope for improving the co-ordination
Over 26 weeks and up to 52 weeks Over 52 weeks Number Percentage of total unemployed Number Percentage of total unemployed July 1977 242,610 15.6 307,053 19.8 July 1978 243,047 16.1 328,372 21.7 July 1979 211,555 15.2 340,543 24.5