HC Deb 29 June 1982 vol 26 cc282-4W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons under 25 years of age were registered as unemployed in (a) the Manchester travel-to-work area and (b) the Manchester city employment office area at June 1979, June 1980, June 1981 and the latest date for which figures are available; what was the percentage change between each date; and what proportion these totals formed of the total numbers registered as unemployed in these areas.

Mr. Waddington

The numbers registered as unemployed are analysed by age in January, April, July and October. The following table gives the information at July in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and at April 1982.

Unemployed aged under 25 years.
Number Percentage change As a percentage of total unemployed
Manchester travel-to-work area
July 1979 18,633 44.8
+45.3
July 1980 27,082 47.8
+37.2
July 1981 37,169 42.3
-4.1
April 1982 35,661 37.9
Manchester employment office area
July 1979 1,821 35.8
+41.4
July 1980 2,574 39.6
+49.1
July 1981 3,837 38.3
-5.0
April 1982 3,644 36.2

Note: The figures include summer school leavers not present in the April figures.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the unemployment and vacancy figures in (a) the Manchester travel-to-work area and (b) the Manchester city employment office area at October 1978, October 1981, and the latest date for which figures are available.

Manchester travel-to-work area Manchester employment office area
Number registered as unemployed Number of vacancies remaining unfilled Number registered as unemployed Number of vacancies remaining unfilled
At employment offices At careers offices At employment offices At careers offices
October 1978 42,196 5,355 613 5,979 1,769 225
October 1981 92,203 2,482 64 9,807 708 16
June 1982* 95,982 2,437 107 9,754 642 24
*Provisional.

The vacancy statistics relate only to vacancies 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. 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number of vacancies unfilled at a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled or withdrawn which would reflect activity more closely.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 twelve month period to March 1982, 194,822 people were placed in jobs by employment offices in the North-West region. It is estimated that the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many employees there were in employment in service industries in (a) the Manchester travel-to-work area and (b) the Manchester city employment office area in 1972, 1977 and at the latest available date;

(2) how many employees there were in employment in service industries in (a) the Manchester travel-to-work area and (b) the Manchester city employment office area in 1972, 1977 and at the latest available date, together with the percentage changes between each date.

Mr. Alison

The most recent figures are from the June 1978 census of employment. Censuses were not taken in 1979 and 1980 and the results of the September 1981 census are not yet available.

The information requested is as follows:

Employees in employment in service industries (Orders XXII to XXVII of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification)
June 1972 June 1977 June 1978
(000s)
Manchester travel-to-work area 384.5 410.7 414.9
Manchester employment office area 174.0 177.0 173.9
Percentage changes
1972–77 1977–78
Per cent. Per cent.
Manchester travel-to-work area +6.8 +1.0
Manchester employment office area +1.7 -1.7

Because of changes in the methods used to allocate employees to employment office areas in 1977 and again

Mr. Alison

The following is the information.

in 1978 the figures for the years specified are not strictly comparable and no significance should be attached to small differences.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage unemployment rate for the Manchester travel-to-work area at the latest date and at the same date one, two, three and four years previously.

Mr. Alison

The following is the information:

Manchester travel-to-work area
June each year Percentage rate of unemployment
1978 6.2
1979 5.4
1980 6.9
1981 11.6
1982 13.4