HC Deb 16 February 1982 vol 18 cc98-9W
Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will tabulate, for the United Kingdom, for the nine other European Economic Community countries, plus the United States of America, Canada and Japan, the movement in percentage and numerical terms of unemployment in the last two months.

Mr. Alison

Seasonally adjusted changes in unemployment between October and December 1981, the latest available common date for the majority of the countries requested, are as follows. Changes between two individual months can be misleading because of erratic fluctuations in monthly figures.

Unemployment, seasonally adjusted, change between October and December 1981
Change in unemployment change in percentage
Thousands per cent rate
Belgium –6* –1.5 –0.2
Denmark† +16 +7.1 +0.7
France +54 +3.0 +0.2
Germany +205* +14.3 +0.9
Greece +12* +34.3 +0.7
Ireland +5 +3.8 +0.5
Netherlands +27 +6.4 +0.7
United Kingdom‡ +53 +1.9 +0.2
Canada +37 +3.7 +0.3
Japan† +110 +9.5 +0.1
USA +942 +11.1 +0.9

* Estimate.

† August to October.

‡ Excluding school leavers.

Seasonally adjusted figures are not available for Italy and Luxembourg.

Source: OECD "Main Economic Indicators", supplemented by Labour attache reports etc.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many were registered unemployed for six months or more or for 12 months or more in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the West Midlands area and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area in May 1979; and what were the comparable figures at the latest available date;

(2) how many registered unemployed between 16 and 21 years of age there were in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the West Midlands region, and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area in May 1979; what were the comparable figures at the latest available date; and how many of those currently unemployed in these age groups have been unemployed for longer than six months.

Mr. Alison

I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the registered unemployment in the Walsall travel-to-work area in May 1979; and what was the figure for the latest available date.

Mr. Alison

At May 1979 the number of people registered as unemployed in the Walsall travel-to-work area was 8,429. The corresponding figure at January 1982 was 29,526. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.