§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of (a) unemployed men and (b) unemployed women in the London borough of Wandsworth have been out of work for (i) one year, (ii) two years and (iii) three years at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 5 April, the latest date for which analysis by duration of unemployment is available, in the Balham, Clapham Junction and Tooting jobcentre areas, which correspond closely to the London borough of Wandsworth, 19.8 per cent. of male unemployed claimants had been out of work for between 52 and 104 weeks, 10 per cent. for between 104 and 156 weeks, and 9 per cent. for over 156 weeks. The corresponding figures for female unemployed claimants were 14.7 per cent., 5.9 per cent., and 3.9 per cent., respectively.
§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of persons aged between 50 and 65 years who are registered as unemployed in the Greater London council area.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 5 April, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 66,211 unemployed claimants aged 50 to 64 years in the Greater London council area.
§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of persons aged between 18 and 21 years who are registered as unemployed in the Greater London council area.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 5 April, the latest date for which an age analysis is available, there were 17,380 unemployed claimants aged 18 years, 19,537 aged 19 years and 80,510 aged between 20 and 24 years in the Greater London council area.
§ Mr. Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage rate of unemployment in (a) west Yorkshire and (b) Kirklees at the latest date for which figures are available; how many people in both areas have now been jobless for more than a year; and what has been the percentage rate of increase in unemployment for both areas since June 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 10 May, the rate of unemployment in the west Yorkshire metropolitan county was 12.7 per cent. The corresponding figures for the Dewsbury and Huddersfield travel-to-work areas, which correspond closely to Kirklees metropolitan district, were 14.3 per cent. and 11.6 per cent., respectively.
On 5 April, the latest date for which an analysis by duration of unemployment is available, 46,236 claimants had been unemployed for over 52 weeks in west Yorkshire, while 7,695 had been unemployed for over 52 weeks in the Dewsbury and Huddersfield travel-to-work areas.
The following table gives the percentage change in the numbers unemployed in the areas specified between June 1979 and May 1984. The comparisions are affected by the change in the basis of the unemployment count in October 1982 and the provisions in the 1983 Budget which meant that some men aged 60 years and over no longer had to sign on in order to receive supplementary benefits or national insurance credits. The figures include school leavers and are not seasonally adjusted.
155W
Percentage changes Registered unemployed June 1979 to October 1982 Unemployed claimants October 1982 to May 1984 West Yorkshire Metropolitan County +171.3 -2.9 Dewsbury and Huddersfield travel-to-work areas +220.2 -6.9
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a comparison of the most recent figures for the level of unemployment in each travel-to-work area in Essex, Hertfordshire and Greater Manchester.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following table gives the numbers of unemployed claimants and the percentage rates of unemployed on 10 May for the areas specified.
Number Percentage rate Essex Braintree* 3,811 10.8 Chelmsford* 5,121 7.3 Clacton-on-Sea 3,478 19.2 Colchester 7,087 12.0 Harlow* 6,451 8.8 Harwich 832 9.2 Southend-on-Sea* 30,503 15.5 Hertfordshire Hertford* 2,575 6.1 Hitchin* 4,275 7.8 St. Albans* 5,539 6.2 Stevenage 4,185 10.9 Watford* 8,885 7.1 Greater Manchester Ashton-under-Lyne* 14,917 15.7 Bolton* 17,225 15.7 Bury* 9,014 13.6 Leigh* 6,927 15.5 Manchester* 95,556 13.3 Oldham* 12,701 13.7 Rochdale 8,057 16.4 Wigan* 13,582 18.6 *Travel-to-work area comprising two or more jobcentre areas.
Table 2 Unfilled vacancies Manchester travel-to-work area Manchester jobcentre area May each year At jobcentres At careers offices At jobcentres At careers offices 1978 4,542 936 1,408 482 1979 6,247 1,072 2,340 393 1980 3,576 490 1,302 212 1981 2,135 81 750 23 1982 2,532 110 698 17 1983 3,241 197 915 74 1984 4,152 172 1,210 41 Vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication, the figures for jobcentres and careers offices should not be added together. The number of vacancies 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 December 1983, the number of people placed in jobs by jobcentres in the