HC Deb 06 December 1983 vol 50 cc114-7W
17. Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of people under 25 years of age who are registered unemployed at the Houghton and Washington jobcentres.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 13 October, the latest date for which an analysis by age is available, there were 3,039 unemployed claimants aged under 25 years in the area covered by the Houghton and Washington jobcentres.

37. Mr. Tim Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in employment in September, October and November, respectively.

Mr. Alan Clark

Estimates of the total numbers in employment are produced quarterly; the latest available figures are for June 1983. These were published in table 1.1 of the labour market data section of the November 1983 issue ofEmployment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.

41. Mr. John Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been out of work for two years or more; and what was the comparable figure in May 1979.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 13 October 1983, the latest date for which an analysis by duration of unemployment is available, there were 561,747 unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over 104 weeks. The corresponding figure for registered unemployed on 5 April 1979, not available for May, was 179,784.

48. Mr. Madden

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest total of those under 25 years of age who are unemployed.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 13 October, the number of unemployed claimants aged under 25 years in the United Kingdom was 1,261,329.

56. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many presently unemployed people are women.

Male Change Female Aged under 18 years (included in previous columns)*
Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
Registered unemployed*
October 1979 to October 1980 +565 +63.8 +286 +48.2 +24 +32.4
October 1980 to October 1981 +1,079 +74.4 +313 +35.6 -24 -24.5
October 1981 to October 1982 +97 +3.8 -99 -8.3 -18 -24.3
Unemployed claimants
October 1982 to October 1983 -333 -6.5 -4 -0.2 -120 -19.0
* The figures of registered unemployment for young people up to October 1982 exclude those registering at careers offices outside the area.

62. Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present rate of unemployment.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 10 November, the rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom was 12.9 per cent.

64. Sir William van Straubenzee

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the unemployment figures to the nearest convenient date; and how they compare with the previous month.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 10 November, the number of unemployed female claimants in the United Kingdom was 925,429.

60. Mr. Tom Cox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of people registered as unemployed in the London borough of Wandsworth and the number of job vacancies registered at local jobcentres.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 10 November, there were 15,652 unemployed claimants in the area covered by the Balham, Clapham junction and Tooting jobcentres, which corresponds closely to the London borough of Wandsworth.

On 4 November, the number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at the jobcentres was 673. Vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. The number of vacancies remaining 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 September 1983 the number of people placed in jobs by the Balham, Clapham junction and Tooting jobcentres was 6,177. It is estimated that the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.

61. Mr. Corbett

asked the Secretary of State for employment what has been the increase, by number and percentage, in unemployment among (a) men, (b) women and (c) young people aged 16 to 18 years in the Birmingham, Erdington constituency in every year since May 1979.

Mr. Alan Clark

The changes for each year up to October 1983, the latest date for which an analysis by age is available, can be best measured by using the October figures in each of the years from 1979. The following table gives the information for the Erdington jobcentre area, which corresponds closely to the Birmingham, Erdington constituency.

Mr. Alan Clark

On 10 November, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted and excluding school leavers, was 2,936,900. The corresponding number on 13 October was 2,941,000.

66. Mr. Leighton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of employees in employment in February 1974, May 1979 and June 1983, respectively.

Mr. Alan Clark

Estimates of total employees in employment are available quarterly and the seasonally adjusted numbers in the United Kingdom in March 1974, June 1979 and June 1983 were 22,704,000, 23,087,000 and 20,894,000 respectively. The figures for June 1979 and June 1983 are provisional and the latter includes an allowance for underestimation in the basic estimates.

71. Mr. Geoffrey Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the total levels of unemployment in Coventry in May 1979 and September 1983; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alan Clark

In May 1979 there were 11,916 people registered as unemployed in the Coventry jobcentre area. On 8 September 1983 there were 29,260 unemployed claimants in the same area. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.