§ Mr. John Grantasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the increase in percentage and actual terms in unemployment among ethnic minorities, showing age groups and, in particular, young people, for the latest 12 months for which figures are available; what were the comparable figures for the increase in total unemployment; and what were the comparable figures in those regions which account for most ethnic minority unemployment.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 20 June 1980, c. 704]: An age analysis of ethnic minority group workers registered as unemployed is made annually in February and table 1 below gives the changes between February 1979 and February 1980. For all unemployed, the analysis is made quarterly in January, April, July and October. Table 2 gives the changes between January 1979 and January 1980, the nearest comparable period.
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TABLE 1—ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP WORKERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED Changes between February 1979 and February 1980 Aged 18 years and under Aged 19 to 24 years Aged 25 to 44 years Aged 45 years and over All ages Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage South East +534 +23.4 +723 +14.6 +789 +9.7 +558 +12.3 +2,604 +13.1 West Midlands +118 +7.1 +367 +11.6 +633 +18.4 +222 +7.8 +1,340 +12.1 East Midlands -128 -22.1 +242 +19.7 +431 +25.9 +94 +8.0 +639 +13.7 Yorkshire and Humberside -17 -3.4 +159 +19.0 +187 +12.5 +201 +18.7 +530 +13.5 North West -57 -10.1 +194 +18.4 +75 +4.0 +290 +25.8 +502 +10.9 Other Regions -17 -5.1 -29 -4.2 -103 -9.5 -30 -5.1 -179 -6.7 Great Britain +433 +7.3 +1,656 +13.9 +2,012 +11.4 +1,335 +11.8 +5,436 +11.6
Table 2—ALL REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED Changes between January 1979 and January 1980 Aged 18 years and under Aged 19 to 24 years Aged 25 to 44 years Aged 45 years and over All ages Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage Actual Percentage South East -99 -0.3 -1,553 -2.3 -6,918 -6.3 -2,494 -2.6 -11,064 -3.6 West Midlands +431 +2.7 +2,774 +9.4 +2,041 +4.7 +2,040 +5.5 +7,286 +5.8 East Midlands +209 +2.5 +760 +4.3 +34 +0.1 +189 +0.7 +1,192 +1.5 Yorkshire and Humberside +77 +0.5 +1,960 +6.7 -186 -0.4 +404 +1.0 +2,255 +1.8 North West -3,398 -11.1 +5,648 +11.2 +2,530 +3.5 +1,908 +3.5 +6,688 +3.2 Other Regions -1,373 -1.8 +6,734 +5.2 +2,969 +1.6 -1,518 -1.0 +6,812 +1.2 Great Britain -4,153 -2.4 +16,323 +5.0 +470 +0.1 +529 +0.1 +13,169 +0.9 Notes:
1. The figures for 1979 and 1980, on which the changes have been calculated, are not strictly comparable because of the introduction of fortnightly attendance and payment of benefit. This had the effect of raising the monthly figures for all unemployed in the country as a whole by about 20,000 from October 1979 Estimates of this effect by age or for ethnic minorities are not available.
2. For table 1, the 1979 figures exclude unemployed young people in Tottenham (South East), Sheffield (Yorkshire and Humberside) and Liverpool (North West). The 1980 figures exclude unemployed young people in East Ham (South East) and Liverpool.
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