HC Deb 11 July 1984 vol 63 cc568-9W
Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies were notified to jobcentres or the equivalent offices at comparable times in each year from 1964 to the present date; and what percentage of the total registered unemployed these numbers represent in each case.

Mr. Alan Clark

The following table gives, for June each year from 1964, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at jobcentres and careers offices in Great Britain and the total numbers unemployed.

Vacancies notified to jobcentres are currently estimated to be about one-third of all vacancies in the economy as a whole and this proportion appears to have risen from about one quarter in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Because of this, and of possible duplification between the figures for jobcentres and careers offices, the figures have not been used to calculate the percentages requested.

Unfilled vacancies
June each year At jobcentres At careers offices
1964 250,848 117,509
1965 302,195 146,936
1966 300,344 149,953
1967 186,770 94,650
1968 202,865 100,377
1969 218,535 103,898
1970 203,826 91,675
1971 144,644 53,133
1972 155,525 47,326
1973 323,250 95,954
1974 336,368 111,091
1975 158,996 34,811
1976 124,837 27,719
1977 166,804 27,012
1978 225,949 30,557
1979 275,447 37,210
1980 163,978 19,396
1981 102,285 6,055
1982 122,738 7,895
1983 156,400 9,200
1984 171,034 11,594