HC Deb 14 July 1986 vol 101 cc357-9W
Mr. Pawsey

asked the Paymaster General if he will give details of the number of (i) men and (ii) women employed in England for each year since 1978 with similar figures for Rugby and for the Rugby travel-to-work area.

Mr. Lang

The figures can he given for England but employment statistics for local areas are available only for those dates when censuses of employment are taken. The available information is as follows:

Employees in employment
(thousand)
Male Female All
England
June 1978 11,281 7,889 19,170
September 1979 11,424 8,160 19,583
September 1980 11,129 8,053 19,182

Male Female All
September 1981 10,564 7,823 18,386
September 1982 10,304 7,656 17,960
September 1983 10,172 7,707 17,879
September 1984 10,165 7,867 18,031
December 1985 (latest available) 10,160 8,109 18,268
Rugby
June 1978 20.2 11.7 31.8
September 1981 20.5 12.1 32.6

As figures for the new ward based travel-to-work areas are not available for years prior to 1981, the figures for Rugby relate to the area covered by the Rugby jobcentre area which was a travel-to-work area under the old definition.

More up-to-date employment estimates for local areas will become available following publication of the 1984 census of employment later this year. Between censuses employment statistics are based on small scale sample inquiries which cannot produce reliable results for areas smaller than regions.

Dr. McDonald

asked the Paymaster General, pursuant to his answers given on 20 May, Official Report, columns 153–54, and 2 June, Official Report, column 259, if he will show where and what number of those placed into (a) job clubs and (b) restart courses also appear in the numbers placed into (i) jobs, (ii) community programme and (iii) other measures.

Mr. Lang

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, a computer analysis of the pilot initiatives, available in September, will show details of those who are placed in job clubs and restart courses and who subsequently leave the unemployment register.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Paymaster General what is the current number of unemployed in the United Kingdom and what was the figure in July 1979; and if he will also give the percentage increase between July 1979 and now in the number who have been unemployed for 12 months and more.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

On 8 May 1986 the number of unemployed claimants, seasonally adjusted excluding school leavers, in the United Kingdom was 3,208,600. The corresponding number for July 1979 was 1,128,400.

On 10 April 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available, the number of claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over 12 months was 1,356,509. The corresponding number of unemployed registrants in July 1979 was 360,622. The figures are not strictly comparable because of changes in the way the figures are collected.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Paymaster General how many are currently unemployed in the black country area of the west midlands; and how many have been unemployed for 12 months or more.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

On 10 April 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available, there were 98,881 unemployed claimants in the Dudley and Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton travel-to-work areas, which closely correspond to the black country area. Of these, 49,200 had been unemployed for over 12 months.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Paymaster General how many are currently unemployed in the borough of Walsall; and how many of these have been unemployed for 12 months or more.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

On 10 April 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available, there were 19,846 unemployed claimants in the Walsall local authority area, of whom 10,051 had been unemployed for over 12 months.

Mr. Winnick

asked the Paymaster General (1) what is the total number of vacancies, by industrial occupation, in the west midlands currently known to his offices there;

(2) what is the total number of vacancies, by industrial occupation, currently known to his offices in the borough of Walsall;

(3) how many vacancies there are by industrial occupation in the black country area of the west midlands currently known to his Department.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The table shows the numbers of unfilled vacancies analysed by occupation at jobcentres in the west midlands region, the Walsall local authority area, and the Dudley and Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton travel-to-work areas, which closely correspond to the black country area, as at 4 April 1986, the latest date for which an analysis by occupation is available.

Unfilled vacancies at jobcentres
West Midlands Walsall Black country
Managerial 690 31 163
Nursing 191 5 31
Typing and secretarial 385 8 56
Clerical and machine operators 1,915 83 360
Selling—distribution 1,230 26 162
Selling—others 1,254 20 188
Security and protective services 148 4 15
Catering 1,483 26 184
Cleaning and personal services 1,454 45 207
Farming and fishing 117 2 12
Materials processing—Textiles/cloth 21 1 3
Materials processing—food 103 3 14
Metal processing 49 9 26
Metal processing—others 21 1 2
Making/repairing—Textiles/cloth 409 7 103
Making/repairing—others 302 20 58
Machine operator (engineering) skilled 431 37 148
Machine operator (engineering) unskilled 52 6 27
Toolmakers/fitters 90 3 26
Installation/maintenance 316 9 60
Electricians 151 4 25
Electronic technicians 67 3 16
Welding/fabrication 213 13 71
Painting 123 3 21
Assembling/packaging/inspecting 301 10 65
Construction—skilled 190 4 29
Construction—unskilled 78 0 6
Mining and Quarrying 1 0 0
Transport operators—HGV and PSV 125 4 27
Transport operators—others 705 15 109
Miscellaneous 500 12 88
Total 13,115 414 2,302