HC Deb 28 February 1985 vol 74 cc222-3W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the average length of time unemployed people are without a job since they became unemployed; and what evidence he has as to the correlation between this average figure and the overall level of unemployment.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information about median durations of unemployment, both in terms of uncompleted spells and completed spells is published quarterly in tables 2.22 and 2.24 of the Employment Gazette. Precise evidence on the correlation between these figures and the overall level of unemployment is not available, but these figures tend to increase when unemployment is rising.