§ Mr. Snapeasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of persons unemployed, the percentage rate of unemployment and the total number of vacancies within the metropolitan borough of Sandwell at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information is not availabe for the precise area specified. In the area covered by the Cradley Heath, Oldbury, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich employment offices, which corresponds closely to the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, there were 27,434 people registered as unemployed at 11 March. The numbers of vacancies remaining unfilled in the area at 5 March were 334 at employment offices and 16 at careers offices. 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.
Percentage rates of unemployment are calculated only for complete travel-to-work areas and not for their constituent parts. The rate of unemployment in the Dudley and Sandwell travel-to-work area at 11 March was 14.9 per cent. In addition to the six employment office areas listed, the travel-to-work area includes the Dudley, Halesowen, Kingswinford, Sedgley and Stourbridge employment office areas.