HC Deb 08 April 1987 vol 114 cc329-32W
Mr. Sheerman

asked the Paymaster General what was the number and percentage rate of unemployment among 16 and 17-year-olds (a) nationally (b) by ethnic origin, (c) by region and (d) by sex at the latest available date and for September, January and June in each of the past five years.

Mr. Lee

[pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1987, c. 151–52]: Following is the available information. The tables show numbers of unemployed aged under 18 years in the regions, together with the appropriate numbers and rates of unemployment in the United Kingdom analysed by sex. Figures are given for January, July and October of each year since 1982 (not available for June or September). The rates of unemployment for 1982 relate to unemployed registrants expressed as a percentage of employees in employment plus the unemployed. Rates for later years are expressed as a percentage of the working population. The working population excludes young people receiving YTS training without a contract of employment. Rates of unemployment by age are not calculated below national level.

Statistics of unemployment by ethnic origin are collected in the "Labour Force Survey", but the figures requested are not available except at disproportionate cost. The last available information based on the monthly unemployment count relates to unemployed registrants in Great Britain as at February 1982, and this is available in the Library.

United Kingdom
Unemployed claimants aged under 18 years
Male Female
Number Percentage of working population Number Percentage of working population
January 1987 92,436 21.4 69,805 16.5
October 1986 106,409 24.6 80,111 18.9
July 1986 97,414 22.5 73,420 17.3
January 1986 107,609 24.9 79,147 18.7
October 1985 121,972 28.2 89,223 21.1
July 1985 102,574 23.7 75,036 17.7
January 1985 113,852 26.3 83,826 19.8
October 1984 134,033 30.5 99,930 24.0
July 1984 94,726 21.5 69,420 16.7
January 1984 115,861 26.3 88,432 21.2
October 1983 142,676 31.5 108,494 26.4
July 1983 118,519 26.1 79,612 19.4
January 1983 123,769 27.3 97,976 23.8

Number Percentage of employees and unemployed Number Percentage of employees and unemployed
October 1982 141,863 29.1 111,031 24.9
Unemployed registrants aged under 18 years
October 1982 152,275 30.6 121,738 26.7
July 1982 203,916 36.4 166,587 32.7
January 1982 128,487 25.1 101,583 21.9

Unemployed registrants aged under 18 years
January '82 July '82 October '82
South East 51,285 81,890 69,588
Greater London 23,451 31,092 33,180
East Anglia 5,994 10,095 6,780
South West 12,457 23,879 14,258
West Midlands 24,263 39,143 29,643
East Midlands 12,454 26,990 15,965
Yorkshire and Humberside 22,755 40,088 28,915
North West 29,735 48,540 34,719
Northern 16,319 28,118 18,904
Wales 12,145 17,257 13,596
Scotland 33,138 42,300 30,608
Northern Ireland 9,525 12,203 11,037

Unemployed claimants aged under 18 years
October 1982 January 1983 July 1983 October 1983
South East 58,601 49,113 41,126 55,554
Greater London 26,591 22,276 19,225 26,035
East Anglia 6,655 5,822 4,833 6,658
South West 13,787 12,230 9,790 14,059
West Midlands 28,277 23,341 20,247 27,122
East Midlands 14,306 12,590 10,846 13,895
Yorks and Humberside 27,675 22,660 19,358 26,169
North West 31,783 27,879 26,203 33,951
Northern 18,549 15,649 13,999 19,235
Wales 13,815 11,859 10,198 14,376
Scotland 30,446 34,334 26,262 32,309
Northern Ireland 9,000 6,268 5,407 7,841

Unemployed claimants aged under 18 years
January 1984 July 1984 October 1984 January 1985
South East 44,292 35,406 49,607 41,253
Greater London 20,716 16,782 22,807 18,968
East Anglia 5,318 4,037 5,646 4,984
South West 11,488 8,609 13,419 11,228

January 1984 July 1984 October 1984 January 1985
West Midlands 20,491 17,129 24,995 19,975
East Midlands 11,570 9,929 14,152 12,044
Yorks and Humberside 19,558 17,042 25,876 20,259
North West 26,791 22,816 31,783 26,170
Northern 14,259 12,012 17,976 13,939
Wales 10,725 8,441 13,665 10,788
Scotland 33,693 23,544 30,228 31,992
Northern Ireland 6,102 5,180 6,614 5,045

Unemployed claimants aged under 18 years
July 1985 October 1985 January 1986 July 1986
South East 34,450 41,491 36,682 31,046
Greater London 16,001 19,279 16,647 14,151
East Anglia 4,376 5,254 5,100 4,244
South West 9,061 11,720 10,647 8,885
West Midlands 18,619 22,744 19,144 17,924
East Midlands 11,818 12,771 11,250 11,603
Yorks and Humberside 20,141 24,305 19,997 21,681
North West 26,195 29,698 24,872 24,460
Northern 15,785 16,530 13,242 13,401
Wales 8,932 12,879 10,456 8,197
Scotland 23,961 27,908 30,425 24,903
Northern Ireland 4,269 5,895 4,941 4,490

Unemployed claimants aged under 18 years
October 1986 January 1987
South East 34,329 29,557
Greater London 15,697 13,374
East Anglia 4,498 4,200
South West 9,954 8,919
West Midlands 20,406 16,684
East Midlands 11,511 10,143
Yorks and Humberside 22,573 18,312
North West 25,900 21,627
Northern 13,374 10,642

October 1986 January 1987
Wales 10,667 8,593
Scotland 27,368 28,868
Northern Ireland 5,940 4,696

Notes:

(1) Unemployment figures from January 1982 to October 1982 relate to unemployed registrants at jobcentres; from October 1982 onwards they relate to claimants at benefit offices. Figures for October 1982 are given on both bases.

(2) Figures are not directly comparable due to changes in the method of the compilation of the count.

(3) The working population estimates used to calculate Unemployed rates by age exclude many YTS participants who have no contract of employment. Percentage rates for those aged under 18 which include all those on YTS in the United kingdom working population are:

Per cent.
1983
January 25.0
July 21.2
October 28.3
1984
January 19.8
July 15.9
October 22.6
1985
January 19.1
July 17.2
October 20.4
1986
January 18.1
July 16.5
October 18.0
1987
January 15.7

(4) Greater London is included in the south east region.