HC Deb 27 June 1985 vol 81 cc467-8W
Mr. Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been lost in manufacturing industry since 1977; and what has been the net change in service sector jobs since 1977.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information about job gains and job losses is not available from the Department's statistics, but an indication of the net changes can be seen by comparing levels of employees in employment at different dates.

Between June 1977 and April 1985 the number of employees in employment in manufacturing industries in Great Britain fell by an estimated 1,826,000. Between June 1977 and December 1984, the latest date for which information is available, the number of employees in employment in service industries in Great Britain increased by an estimated 830,000.

Mr. Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for Employment wht is his estimate of the number of (a) 21, (b) 22 and (c) 23-year-olds who have never had a job.

Mr. Alan Clark

Results of the 1984 labour force survey indicate that in Great Britain in the second quarter of 1984 there were 103,000 people aged 21 who had never had a job, of whom 21,000 were seeking work; 71,000 aged 22 who had never had a job, including 17,000 seeking work; and 41,000 aged 23 who had never had a job, including 10,000 seeking work.

Mr. Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of unemployed persons who were formerly engaged in manufacturing industry or construction who are aged (a) 50 years and over and (b) 55 years and over.

Mr. Alan Clark

Results of the 1984 labour force survey indicate that in Great Britain in the second quarter of 1984 there were 138,000 people aged 50 years or more who were without a job and looking for work and who had been employed at some time during the previous three years, with their last job in the manufacturing or construction industries. Of this total, 94,000 were aged 55 or more.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when unemployment data for individual local authority wards will be available in the Library.

Mr. Alan Clark

Information for the latest period is now available in the Library. Figures for each month from June 1983 are being prepared and will become available from the computer base in the Library over the next few weeks.