HC Deb 21 July 1987 vol 120 c164W
95. Mr. Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the increase in the number of women seeking (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment outside the home, in the last five years and 10 years, respectively.

Mr. Lee

The available information, which is from the labour force survey conducted in spring 1981 and spring 1986, shows that the number of women unemployed and seeking work in Great Britain rose by 176,000 between these two dates. Details of the type of work sought are as follows:

Change in numbers of women unemployed and seeking work between spring 1981 and spring 1986—Great Britain
Estimate
Seeking work as full-time employees -73,000
Seeking work as part-time employees +157,000
Seeking work as employees with no preference between full and part-time +71,000
Seeking work as self-employed1 +21,000
1 People seeking self-employment were not asked whether they sought full-time or part-time work.

Comparable figures showing the change over the 10 years to spring 1986 are not available.