§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage for the year ending in July of the current year the unemployed represented of the total labour force in the United Kingdom and what are the comparable figures for each member State of the EEC, Japan and the United States of America.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 22 July 1980, c. 171]: The available comparable 222W unemployment rates for the year ending March 1980 are:
Great Britain 5.8 France 6.3 West Germany 2.9 Japan 2.1 United States 5.9 Source: United States Bureau of Labour Statistics. Unemployment on US definitions as a percentage of civilian labour force. Unemployment rates for member countries are published by the European Communities, and are shown below for the year ending May 1980, but they are not directly comparable because of differences in concepts and coverage.
West Germany 3.3 France 6.3 Italy 7.7 Netherlands 4.2 Belgium 8.9 Luxembourg 0.7 United Kingdom 5.5 Ireland 7.9 Denmark 5.2 Source: Statistical Office of the European Communities. Registered unemployed as a percentage of civilian working population.