§ Mr. Cormackasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those who left school as (a) 18 years plus, (b) 17 years plus and (c) 16 years plus in 1979 are still registered as unemployed; and what percentage this is of the totals in each age group.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 14 March 1980, c. 756]: I am informed by my right hon. and learned Friends the Secretary of State for Education and Science and my right hon. Friend the 266W Secretary of State for Scotland that in the academic year 1978–79 the number of school leavers who were not entering full-time further education and were therefore likely to be available for employment is estimated as follows:
Great Britain Thousand Age 16 and over 700 17 and over 150 18 and over 60–70 It is not known how many of these young people are still registered as unemployed. In July last year, at the summer peak, there were 201,000 unemployed people under the age of 18 who had not entered employment since terminating full-time education. In February 1980 there were 35,000 such people. However, this figure may include some who have left educational institutions other than schools, and some who may have left earlier than 1979 or—in the case of the February figure—as late as Christmas, 1979.