HC Deb 03 March 1987 vol 111 cc560-1W
22. Mr. George Howarth

asked the Paymaster General how many and what type of new jobs have been created since 1983.

Mr. Lee

There are no figures for job gains and job losses.

Between March 1983 and September 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian employed labour force (the sum of employees in employment and the self-employed) in Great Britain has changed as shown in the table, which presents estimates which are not adjusted for seasonal variation.

Changes in the size of the civilian employed labour force in Great Britain—March 1983 to September 1986
Thousands1
Agriculture, forestry and fishing [0] +9
Metal goods, engineering, vehicles [3] -231
Other production industries [1, 2, 4] -125
Construction [5] +61
Distribution, hotels, catering, repairs [6] +544
Transport and communication [7] +21
Banking, finance, insurance etc [8] +501
Other services [9] +535
Total +1,315
1 Not seasonally adjusted.

Numbers in brackets denote divisions of the standard industrial classification 1980.

If adjusted for seasonal variation the total increase becomes 1,128,000.

37. Mr. Livsey

asked the Paymaster General if he will list the proportion in each region of new jobs created since 1983.

Mr. Lee

There are no figures for job gains and job losses.

Between September 1983 and September 1986 (the latest date for which figures are available), the civilian employed labour force in the regions of Great Britain changed as shown in the table:

Change Percentage change
South East 443,000 6
East Anglia 105,000 13
South West 96,000 5
West Midlands 96,000 4
East Midlands 74,000 5
Yorkshire and Humberside 68,000 3
North West 17,000 1
North 43,000 4
Wales -2,000 —
Scotland 12,000 1

77. Mr. McWilliam

asked the Paymaster General what percentage of the total unemployed are aged 25 years or less; and what initiatives the Government are pursuing in order to provide full-time employment at average rates of pay for those affected.

Mr. Lee

On 8 January 1987, 34.4 per cent. of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom were aged under 25 years. All of the employment, training and enterprise measures run by my Department and the Manpower Services Commission are part of a wider strategy for encouraging enterprise and employment.