§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of those available for work is employed 495W in manufacturing industry; how this compares with the corresponding figures for each year since 1981; and how these figures compare with the figures for other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries over the same years, from information available from international sources.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkIn March 1984, the latest month for which statistics are available, 21.2 per cent. of the working population (ie employees in employment, the self-employed, HM forces and the unemployed) were employed in manufacturing industries in the United Kingdom. The corresponding figures were 21.8 per cent in March 1983, 22.9 per cent in March 1982, and 24.3 per cent in March 1981.
For other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, the latest available information on manufacturing employment relates to 1981, and is shown in the following table. There are differences between countries in general concepts, classification and methods of compilation, and so international comparisons must be approached with caution.
Manufacturing employment as a percentage of the total labour force per cent. Australia 18.1 Austria 29.0 Belgium 21.7 Canada 17.8 Denmark 18.9 Finland 24.3 France 22.7 Germany (FR) 31.4 Greece 18.5 Ireland 18.6 Italy 23.3 Japan 24.3 Netherlands 19.2 New Zealand 22.9 Norway 19.8 Portugal 23.0 Spain 21.0 Sweden 22.7 Switzerland 31.9 Turkey 8.8 USA 19.7 Source: OECD 'Labour Force Statistics 1970–81'
Note: Data are not available for Iceland, Luxembourg and Yugoslavia
§ Mr. Haselhurstasked the Secretary of State for Employment, in each month of the last five years, if he will give the figures for the number of unemployed school leavers aged 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 years or more, distinguishing where necessary those receiving benefit from those not doing so and stating the precise definition of the term school leaver.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe available figures for United Kingdom unemployed school leavers, that is young persons who have not had employment since completing full-time education, are as follows:
496W
Unemployed school leavers United Kingdom Registrations Under 18 18 and over 1979 January 47,429 35,885 February 39,403 33,681 March 31,151 29,307 April 25,823 26,781
Registrations Under 18 18 and over May 39,295 25,600 June 143,770 25,170 July 215,426 58,826 August 183,472 65,471 September 114,277 58,272 October 69,356 46,753 November 49,700 42,078 December 39,196 36,584 1980 January 45,919 35,286 February 38,172 32,447 March 31,791 28,424 April 53,720 26,282 May 49,417 24,734 June 186,369 25,625 July 295,511 72,350 August 264,883 91,926 September 207,329 86,736 October 145,809 74,912 November 110,744 69,616 December 95,383 64,154 497W
Claimants Non-claimants* Under 18 18 19and over 1981 January 102,235 19,923 42,923 — February 90,055 19,418 41,824 — March 78,306 56,074 (18 and over) — April 72,785 17,493 36,941 — May 99,209 17,906 36,851 — June 216,188 18,542 35,189 — July 285,471 31,442 56,019 — August 278,141 37,307 75,749 — September 269,814 48,862 80,974 — October 216,021 51,204 80,119 — November 164,566 44,283 71,445 — December 142,623 40,862 67,513 — 1982 January 149,875 41,354 67,752 — February 134,088 40,785 66,133 — March 117,468 39,354 63,119 — April 128,161 39,837 62,433 — May 125,524 41,329 61,131 — June 227,505 41,504 58,608 — July 303,848 53,749 74,695 — August 305,754 60,792 80,769 — September 289,048 76,969 119,564 — October 207,011 75,646 113,898 — October 174,226 178,604 (18 and over) — November 147,458 73,028 99,514 — December 130,644 72,580 103,124 — 1983 January 137,815 73,990 104,295 — February 123,807 73,608 104,601 — March 112,218 72,936 105,357 — April 134,464 73,126 108,503 — May 125,641 72,025 108,059 — June 118,923 71,661 111,264 128,433 July 115,547 74,338 165,129 211,125 August 112,076 73,151 162,964 211,876 September 214,591 112,137 155,721 — October 168,135 100,277 139,080 — November 137,725 94,318 140,812 — December 118,087 89,550 139,644 — 1984 January 116,770 86,270 142,414 — February 105,487 84,080 143,016 — March 94,817 80,003 143,242 —
Claimants Non-claimants* Under 18 18 19 and over April 85,330 75,725 134,647 — May 104,207 71,381 132,548 — June 95,262 67,598 136,735 123,573 *School leavers aged under 18 registered at Careers Offices who are not eligible for benefit until September. A special count of this group is conducted in June to August.