HC Deb 17 December 1987 vol 124 c658W
Dr. Reid

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the unemployment rate in the food and agriculture sectors of the British economy for each year since 1983.

Mr. Lee

Information on the previous industry of unemployed claimants is not collected.

The information available from the labour force survey does not permit unemployment rates by industry to be calculated on a basis comparable with whole economy unemployment rates, because at least one third of the unemployed did not give a previous industry, mainly because they had not had a job in the previous three years.

Unemployment rates calculated for those recording a previous job in the industries concerned are as follows

organisations to provide a more coherent and effective service for unemployed people. As part of the integration process the new employment service is examining more effective ways of bringing suitable vacancies to the attention of claimants.