§ Mr. Winnickasked the Paymaster General (1) if he will give the numbers of those who have been unemployed for 12 months and more in May 1979 and the percentage increase since then; and what estimate he has of the number of people currently out of work who are not claiming benefit;
(2) if he will give the numbers of those who had been unemployed for 12 months or more in May 1979 within (a) the west midlands region and (b) the black country 394W area; what is the percentage increase since then; and what estimates he has of the number of people currently out of work who are not claiming benefit in each of these areas.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following information is in the Library. The table gives the numbers of registrants in the United Kingdom and the west midlands who had been unemployed for over 12 months in April 1979 (not available for May).
Comparisons of unemployment over the period specified are difficult to make because of the change in the basis of the count in October 1982, the 1983 Budget provisions which mean that some men, mainly aged 60 or over, no longer need to sign on at unemployment benefit offices to receive benefit, and, for local areas, the change to a ward-based system for allocating claimants to localities. The table also shows the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom, the west midlands and the black country as at 10 October 1985.
Unemployed over 12 months Number Unemployed registrants—April 1979 United Kingdom 366,711 West midlands 34,154 Unemployed claimants—October 1985 United Kingdom 1,351,857 West midlands 164,848 Black country* 50,266 * Figures relate to the Dudley and Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall travel-to-work areas, as defined in 1984. According to the labour force survey in Great Britain in the spring of 1984, there were about 870,000 people without jobs seeking work but not claiming unemployment benefits. There were about 90,000 in the west midlands. The sample size of the survey is insufficient to provide those figures for the black country.
§ Mr. Nellistasked the Paymaster General if he will publish a table showing the registered number of vacancies by standard industrial classification in the Coventry area at the latest available date and at May 1979.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe following information is in the Library. Table 1 shows the numbers of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres which cover an area closely corresponding to the Coventry and Hinckley travel-to-work area as at May 1979 according to the 1968 standard industrial classification. Table 2 shows the numbers of unfilled vacancies, excluding self-employed vacancies at job-centres which cover the same area at 2 August 1985, the latest date for which an analysis according to the 1980 standard industrial classification is available.
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Table 1—Unfilled vacancies—Jobcentres in the Coventry and Hinckley travel-to-work area May 1979 Standard Industrial Classification 1968 Unfilled Vacancies Agriculture, forestry and fishing 11 Mining and quarrying 5 Food, drink and tobacco 11 Coal and petroleum products 9 Chemicals and allied industries 5 Metal manufacture 62 Mechanical engineering 271 Instrument engineering 3
Standard Industrial Classification 1968 Unfilled Vacancies Electrical engineering 108 Shipbuilding and marine engineering 5 Vehicles 230 Metal goods not elsewhere specified 104 Textiles 76 Leather, leather goods and fur 2 Clothing and footwear 66 Bricks, pottery, glass and cement 15 Timber and furniture, etc 20 Paper, printing and publishing 16 Other manufacturing 23 Construction 154 Gas, electricity and water 54 Transport and communication 86 Distributive trades 262 Insurance and banking etc 85 Professional and scientific services 100 Miscellaneous services 277 Public administration and defence 155 Total 2,215
Table 2—Unfilled vacancies—Jobcentres in the Coventry and Hinckley travel-to-work area August 1985 Standard Industrial Classification 1980 Unfilled Vacancies Agriculture, forestry and fishing 4 Energy and water supply industries 9 Extraction and manufacture of minerals and metals 30 Metal goods and vehicle industries, etc 280 Other manufacturing industries 133 Construction 118 Distribution, hotels and catering; repairs 354 Transport and communication 50 Banking, finance, insurance and leasing, etc 133 Other services 266 Total 1,377