HC Deb 08 February 1982 vol 17 cc268-9W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked 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 for (a) the Workington travel-to-work area, and (b) Cumbria.

Mr. Alison

At 14 January, the provisional number of people registered as unemployed in the Workington travel-to-work area was 5,863 and the unemployment rate was 18.7 per cent. The corresponding figures for Cumbria were 24,158 and 12.3 per cent.

At 8 January, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at employment offices and careers offices in the Workington travel-to-work area were 141 and 6, respectively. The corresponding figures for Cumbria were 867 at employment offices and 33 at 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. The number of vacancies unfilled at a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled or withdrawn which would reflect activity more closely. For example, during the 12-month period to December 1981, 9,923 people were placed in jobs by employment offices in Cumbria. It is estimated that the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were registered as unemployed as (a) systems analysts and computer. programmers, (b) secondary school teachers, (c) physic al and geological scientists and (d) mathematicians at the latest available date; and how many vacancies there were in these areas.

Mr. Alison

The following table gives information for December 1981 in respect of unemployed people registered at employment offices for employment in the occupations specified. The vacancy figures relate only to those notified to employment offices.

Unemployment and vacancies at employment offices in the United Kingdom at December 1981
Number unemployed Number of unfilled vacancies
Systems analysts and computer programmers 6,626 370
Number unemployed Number of unfilled vacancies
Secondary school teachers 12,495 109
Physical and geological scientists 1,494 40
Mathematicians 208 3