§ Miss Wrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Handsworth on 26 June about employment in Birmingham, if he will update the figures given to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 6 August 1980, c. 126]: At 10 July 1980 there were 32,610 males and 11,412 females aged 20 years and over, and 18,531 young people under 20 years of age registered as unemployed in the Birmingham travel-to-work area. The corresponding figures for July 1979 were 24,605. 8,029 and 14,065, respectively. The July 1980 figures are not strictly comparable those for July 1979 because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance anti payment of benefit. Estimates of this effect by age or for local areas are not available, but for the country as a whole the monthly figures for all unemployed from October 1979 are about 20,000, or 1½ per cent. higher than they would have under weekly attendance.