HC Deb 25 July 1983 vol 46 cc315-7W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of persons unemployed in the travel-to-work areas covered by the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency at the most recent count; and what percentage of the work force this represents.

Mr. Gummer

From the June 1983 unemployment count, the total number of unemployed claimants in the area covered by Leek jobcentre and the Stoke-on-Trent travel-to-work area* was 26,379 and the unemployment rate was 12.3 per cent. This combined area, which is larger than the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency, includes two self-contained labour markets for which a rate of unemployment can be calculated. The figures do not include 1,815 unemployed school leavers under 18 years of age registered at careers offices in the area who are not yet entitled to benefit.

* The jobcentre areas of Stoke-on-Trent, Biddulph, Burslem, Cheadle, Hanley, Kidsgrove, Longton and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the travel-to-work areas covered by the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency have been unemployed for (a) up to six months, (b) six months to 12 months, (c) 12 months to 18 months, (d) 18 months to 24 months and (e) over 24 months.

Mr. Gummer

The following is the information for the unemployment count date in April 1983, the latest date for which an analysis by duration of unemployment is available. The figures relate to the area covered by the Leek, Biddulph, Burslem, Cheadle, Hanley and Longton jobcentres, which most closely correspond to the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency.

Unemployment by duration
Up to 26 weeks 6,710
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks 3,916
Over 52 and up to 78 weeks 2,283
Over 78 and up to 104 weeks 1,681
Over 104 weeks 3,671

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in the travel-to-work areas covered by the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency were unemployed at the most recent count in the following age ranges (a) under 20 years, (b) between 20 and 30 years, (c) between 30 and 40 years, (d) between 40 and 50 years, (e) between 50 and 60 years and (f) over 60 years.

Mr. Gummer

The following is the information for the unemployment count date in April 1983, the latest date for which an age analysis is available. The figures relate to the area covered by the Leek, Biddulph, Burslem, Cheadle, Hanley and Longton jobcentres, which most closely corresponds to the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency.

Age
Under 20 years 3,336
20 to 29 years 5,719
30 to 39 years 2,926
40 to 49 years 2,013
50 to 59 years 2,851
60 years and over 1,416

Sir Dudley Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the current number of married women registered as unemployed compares with the figure for 1980, 1975, 1970 and 1960.

Mr. Gummer

The following is the information for the United Kingdom for June in each of the years specified and for June 1983.

Unemployed married women
Number
Registered unemployed
June 1960 51,059
June 1970 32,010
June 1975 61,666
June 1980 219,131
Unemployed claimants
June 1983 323,929

Sir Dudley Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the estimated number of people in employment as at 1 January 1983, 1980, 1975, 1970 and 1960.

Mr. Gummer

The available estimates are for mid-December in the previous year. The following table gives the total numbers of employees in employment in Great Britain at these dates.

Employees in employment
Number
December 1959 21,185,000
December 1969 22,091,000
December 1974 22,377,000
December 1979 22,647,000
December 1982 *20,509,000
* provisional; including an allowance of 200,000 for likely underestimation in the basic estimates.

Mr. Golding

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have now been unemployed for two years or more; and whether he will pay special attention to this group.

Mr. Peter Morrison

On 14 April 1983, the latest date for which figures are available, 532,000 people had been unemployed for more than two years.

The Government already provide help to all groups of unemployed people through its range of special employment and training measures, which at the end of May were estimated to be helping 561,000 people.

The measure specifically designed to help long-term unemployed people is the community programme, which provides temporary job opportunities on projects of benefit to the community.

Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many places are presently occupied in Coventry in special employment and training schemes.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The latest figures available are set out in the following table:

Number
Community enterprise programme/community programme 384
Community industry* 137
Enterprise allowance 563
Job release scheme 382
Job splitting scheme† 2
Temporary short-time working compensation scheme‡ 2,477
Young workers scheme 138
Youth opportunities programme║ 240
Youth training scheme║ 190
Figures are for the city of Coventry unless otherwise stated.
* figures cover Coventry/Nuneaton.
† figures cover Coventry travel-to-work area.
‡ figures cover Coventry travel-to-work area. The figure quoted is the number of workers sharing short-time working to save 1,040 potentially redundant jobs.
║ figures are for entrants 1 April 1983 to date and cover Coventry and Warwickshire.