§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General (1) what has been the net gain or loss of jobs in the service sector since 1983 in (a) the north-west region, (b) Lancashire, (c) Greater Manchester, (d) Merseyside and (e) Cheshire;
210W(2) what has been the change in jobs in the manufacturing sector since 1983 in (a) the north-west region, (b) Lancashire, (c) Greater Manchester, (d) Merseyside and (e) Cheshire.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe latest estimates show an increase of 10,000 in the number of jobs in the north-west region between December 1983 and December 1986. This increase resulted from a net increase of 27,000 employees in the service industries; a net decrease of 40,000 employees in manufacturing industries; a net decrease of 8,000 employees in other industries and a net increase of 31,000 people in self-employment. Some of the apparent movement from manufacturing to service employment in these figures will be due to the reclassification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, catering, computer services and road haulage previously done by manufacturers' own employees, now done by subcontractors outside the manufacturing sector.
Figures for counties and smaller areas are not available except from censuses of employment taken triennially since 1978.
§ Mr. Batisteasked the Paymaster General what proportion of the population between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age were (a) engaged in full-time education, (b) engaged in training, (c) in employment and (d) unemployed at the latest date for which records are available.
§ Mr. TrippierThe information is not available in the form requested. In January 1986, of young people in Great Britain aged 16 to 18 on 31 August 1985, 31.2 per cent. were in full-time education, 10.4 per cent. were on YTS, and 15.4 per cent. were claimant unemployed. Most of the remaining 43 per cent. will have been in employment outside YTS. However, some will have been unemployed but not claiming benefit, some neither seeking work nor claiming benefit and some on Government schemes other than YTS.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Paymaster General (1) how many people have been unemployed for 12 months and more; if he will give the equivalent figure for May 1979; and if he will give the same information on the basis of the counting methods in use in May 1979 and the percentage increase in the latter case;
(2) if he will state the number unemployed for 12 months or more in (a) the west midlands, (b) the black country area of the west midlands and (c) the Walsall travel-to-work area; what were the comparable figures for May 1979; and if he will give the same information on the basis of the counting methods in use in May 1979, and the percentage increase in the latter case.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeOn 8 January 1987, the latest date on which analysis of unemployment by duration is available, the number of claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over 12 months was 1,334,430. The corresponding number of unemployed registrants in April 1979 (not available for May 1979) was 366,711. It is not possible to give a reliable estimate of long-term unemployment now on the method used in 1979.
For unemployment figures for the west midlands, the black country area of the west midlands and the Walsall travel-to-work area, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend on 19 February 1987 at column 769.