HC Deb 31 January 1983 vol 36 cc14-7W
Mr. Maxton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the numerical result of applying the Government's new method of collating unemployment statistics to those of other members of the European Community.

Mr. Gummer

Information on which to base an estimate is not available.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the number of the unemployed under 21 years of age in the west midlands; what were the figures in January 1979, January 1980, January 1981 and January 1982, respectively; and if he will express the differences in percentage terms;

(2) what is the number of the unemployed in the west midlands under 21 years of age who have been unemployed for over 12 months; what were the figures in January 1979, January 1980, January 1981 and January 1982, respectively; and if he will express the differences in percentage terms.

Mr. Alison

The following is the information for those aged under 20 years (under 21 not available) at the dates specified and at October 1981 and October 1982, the latest date for which an analysis by age and duration of unemployment is available. The figures are on the old (registration) basis of the unemployment count.

Total number aged under 20 registered as unemployed Percentage change Number aged under 20 registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks Percentage change
October 1981 68,703 +5.6 8,637 +48.3
October 1982 72,532 — 12,805 —

Mr. Weetch

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total number of unemployed claimants in Suffolk with the percentage rate of unemployment, for each jobcentre area.

Mr. Alison

The following table gives the total number of unemployed claimants at 9 December 1982 in each of the jobcentre areas in Suffolk. It also gives the percentage rates of unemployment for the areas, either singly or grouped to form travel-to-work areas.

Jobcentre area Number Percentage rate
Beccles 723 *10.0
Bungay 282
Bury St. Edmunds 2,185 7.7
Felixstowe 672 *9.3
Ipswich 7,693
Stowmarket 802
Woodbridge 897
Halesworth 429 10.7
Haverhill 1,192 11.1
Leiston 731 14.7
Lowestoft 4,495 15.5
Mildenhall 492 *7.4
Newmarket 792
Subbury 1,242 9.4
Brandon 428 *14.4
Swaffham† 1,022
Thetford† 1,415
* The rate relates to the combined jobcentre areas, ie the travel-to-work area.
† Swaffham and Thetford jobcentre areas are in Norfolk, but, together with Brandon jobcentre area, from a complete travel-to-work area.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the current rates of unemployment among the seven major industrialised countries.

Mr. Alison

The latest available seasonally adjusted standardised unemployment rates estimated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are as follows:

Unemployment as percentage of total labour force
percentage
Canada November 12.6
United States of America November 10.6
Japan November 2.4
France November 8.3
Germany November 7.2
Italy July 8.6
United Kingdom November 12.9

These unemployment rates have been adjusted by the OECD to conform to definitions recommended by the International Labour Office.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of unemployed persons is under 25 years of age.

Mr. Alison

At 14 October 1982, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, 39.5 per cent. of all registered unemployed people (the old basis of the unemployment count) in the United Kingdom were under 25 years of age.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 to 19-year-olds are unemployed at the nearest available date.

Mr. Alison

At 14 October 1982, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 655,295 young people aged under 20 years registered as unemployed in the United Kingdom. The figure is on the old (registration) basis of the unemployment count.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many in (a) the west midlands, (b) the black country area and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area have now been unemployed for over 12 months; and if he will give the figures for January 1979, January 1980, January 1981 and January 1982, respectively, and the differences in percentage terms.

Mr. Alison

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1983, c. 509]: The following is the information at the dates specified and at October 1981 and October 1982, the latest date for which an analysis by duration of unemployment is available. The figures are on the old (registration) basis of the unemployment count.

Number registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks Percentage change
West Midlands Region
January 1979 32,489
+3.7
January 1980 33,685
+44.8
January 1981 48,766
+142.8
January 1982 118,428
October 1981 99,451
+56.6
October 1982 155,741
Dudley and Sandwell travel-to-work area
January 1979 3,293
+9.1
January 1980 3,593
+63.1
January 1981 5,861
+177.1
January 1982 16,242
October 1981 13,478
+61.7
October 1982 21,790
Wolverhampton travel-to-work area
January 1979 2,407
+8.1
January 1980 2,603
+46.2

Number registered as unemployed for over 52 weeks Percentage change
January 1981 3,806
+134.1
January 1982 8,910
October 1981 7,427
+53.6
October 1982 11,406
Walsall travel-to-work area
January 1979 2,574
-5.4
January 1980 2,436
+64.0
January 1981 3,995
+150.8
January 1982 10,020
October 1981 8,276
+62.5
October 1982 13,452