§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of people unemployed in March 1984 and in March 1985; and what percentage of the population of working age jobless this represents for these two dates.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkOn 8 March 1984 there was a total of 3,142,775 unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, representing an unemployment rate of 13.0 per cent. of all employees and the unemployed. This information is also available from the Library. The figures for March 1985 are not yet available but will be published on 4 April.
While some people of working age who are without jobs and seeking work are excluded from the unemployment count because they are not entitled to benefits, others are included in the count who are not actively seeking work. Household surveys such as the 1983 labour force survey indicate that the two groups broadly offset each other. Details of the position in 1984 will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Employment Gazette.