§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average level Of unemployment in Wales and in the North of England for each of the last 10 years and during the current year.
§ Mr. AlisonThe following table gives for Wales and the North region the annual average numbers registered as unemployed from 1972 to 1981 and the average for the first quarter of 1982.
231W
Wales North region 1972 49,093 81,871 1973 35,483 60,711 1974 *38,280 *59,894 1975 58,758 78,945
Wales North region 1976 78,103 101,268 1977 86,315 114,240 1978 91,491 121,605 1979 87,056 118,961 1980 111,339 147,468 1981 157,547 203,445 1982 January-March 173,797 217,517 * Average of 11 months.
Average Gross Weekly Earnings (£) Agriculture All manufacturing industries ‡ Regular full- time hired men aged 20 and over * (1) Full-time males aged 21 and over † (2) Full-time manual males aged 21 and over (3) All full-time male employees aged 21 and over ║ (4) (1) as a per-centage of(3) (2) as a percentage of (3) (2) as a per-centage of (4) April 1950 5.59 7.58 § 74 April 1959 9.88 13.59 § 73 April 1976 50.26 50.1 67.3║ 71.3 75 74 70 April 1981 97.25 94.4 124.2║ 136.9 78 76 69 Notes:
* Figures relate to the quarter beginning in April as recorded by the wages and employment inquiry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and include payments in kind.
† Figures relate to workers covered by Orders of the Agriculture Wages Board (England and Wales); they cover the survey period of the new earnings survey in April, and include the reckonable value (laid down in the Agricultural Wages Order) of accommodation, meals, etc., provided by the employer.
‡There are slight differences in the definition of manufacturing industry used for April 1950 and April 1959 (based on the Standard Industrial Classification 1948), and that used for April 1976 and April 1981 (based on the Standard Industrial Classification 1968).
§ Based on the Department of Employment's voluntary survey of manual workers' earnings. The figures relate to the United Kingdom.
║Based on the New Earnings Survey, excluding employees whose pay was affected by absence.