§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those who left school in the summer of 1979 took (a) less than one month, (b) up to two months, (c) up to three months, (d) up to four months and (e) more than four months to find full-time employment.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe information is not available, but the following table gives the numbers of school leavers under 18 years of age who were registered as unemployed in Great Britain at the dates specified in each month since May 1979. The figures do not separately identify those who left school in the summer of 1979 from other school leavers. The figure for January reflects an increase in Scotland, where many young people leave school at Christmas.
418W
1979 10 May 36,189 14 June 137,110 12 July 204,225 9 August 173,071 13 September 105,986 11 October 64,025 8 November 45,529 6 December 35,712
1980 10 January 42,648 14 February 35,213 13 March 29,337 10 April 50,040 8 May 45,765
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to reduce unemployment amongst young school leavers on Merseyside ; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 13 June 1980, c. 249]: I recognise the seriousness of the present situation. That is why the Government have agreed to a proposal from the Manpower Services Commission to expand the youth opportunities programme by 25 per cent. in 1980–81 ; this expansion has enabled the MSC to renew the undertakings to unemployed school leavers and the long-term young unemployed that they will be offered places in the programme. Community industry is also available to help young people with particular difficulties. Both programmes will continue to play a significant role in areas such as Merseyside.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the trend in unemployment amongst school leavers since 1975.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 13 June 1980, c. 249]: In general, the most straightforward guide to the trend in unemployment amongst school leavers is given by comparing each month's figures for 12 months earlier. On this basis, there were successive increases in the numbers of unemployed school leavers from January 1975 until mid-1978, but the 1975–76 changes are sometimes affected by changes in school-leaving regulations in 1976. From June 1978, there was a progressive reduction in unemployment amongst school leavers. Figures of unemployed school leavers for March and April 1980 show increases over the corresponding months in 1979, and appear to show a reversal of the previous downward trend, though it is too soon to be sure of this.
However, the increase between April 1979 and April 1980 is in large part explained by the inclusion of Easter school leavers in the latter month, since in 1980 but not in 1979 the Easter school leaving 419W date fell before the date of the unemployment count.
§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of school leavers registered as unemployed ; and what percentage of this total are female.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1980, c. 249.]: At 8 May there were 45,765 school leavers under 18 years of age registered as unemployed in Great Britain, of whom 48.3 per cent. were females.