§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people within the Sandwell education authority area are (a) registered at careers centres, (b) engaged in youth opportunities schemes and (c) seeking full-time employment; and how many vacancies for full-time employment remain unfilled in that area.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAt 15 January the number of young people registered as unemployed at careers offices within the Sandwell education authority area was 1,694. The unemployment statistics do not distinguish between those seeking full-time and part-time employment. At 9 January the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in the area were 158 and 11, respectively. The vacancy statistics for January do not distinguish between those for full-time and part-time work, but at 7 November 1980, when there were 212 unfilled vacancies at employment offices and nine at careers offices, 32 of those at employment offices were for part-time work. The vacancy figures relate only to those notified to employment offices and careers offices; vacancies notified to employment offices are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for employment offices and careers offices should not be added together.
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information about the numbers of young people currently engaged in youth opportunities schemes in the Sandwell education authority area is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.