HC Deb 02 July 1985 vol 82 cc142-3W
Dr. Glyn

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest available figures for the total number of people (a) available for employment and (b) actually in work.

Mr. Alan Clark

In December 1984, the latest date for which information is available, the working population of the United Kingdom, that is the employed labour force plus the unemployed, was estimated as 27,404,000; of which the employed labour force (employees in employment plus the self-employed plus Her Majesty's forces) was estimated to be 24,185,000.

Mr. Hancock

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed (a) adults and (b) young people aged between 16 and 21 years there were for evey job vacancy registered in the county of Hampshire and Portsmouth at the latest available date.

Mr. Alan Clark

The following information is in the Library. Table 1 shows the most recent available unemployment statistics for adults and young people. Figures are not available for the 16 to 21-year age group. Table 2 shows the number of unfilled vacancies at the Portsmouth jobcentre and careers office, and those at the jobcentres and careers offices which closely correspond to the county of Hampshire. Figures for vacancies at jobcentres and careers offices cannot be added together because some vacancies are notified to both offices at jobcentres are normally open to persons of all ages. Because of the differences in the bases of the unemployment and vacancy figures, accurate ratios of unemployed to vacancies cannot be calculated.

Table 1 Unemployment by age—11 April 1985
Age under 20 years Age 20 years and over
Portsmouth local authority district 1,916 9,498
Hampshire 9,655 50,927

Table 2 Unfilled vacancies—29 March 1985
Careers offices Jobcentres
Portsmouth 43 224
Hampshire 430 3,392