HC Deb 09 November 1987 vol 122 cc43-7W
Mr. Holt

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers in Cleveland have remained unemployed for one year, two years and three years or more, respectively, since 1980.

Mr. Lee

I regret that the information requested is not available.

Mr. Holt

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many men in Cleveland over(a) 40 years and (b) 50 years have been unemployed for (a) five years and (b) three years; and what is the average length of continuous unemployment for men aged over (1) 40 years and (2) 50 years in Cleveland.

Mr. Lee

Following is the latest information available :

Unemployed Persons1 Great Britain Northern Region
Unemployed (Thousands) As proportion of Economically Active (Per cent) Unemployed (Thousands) As proportion of Economically Active (Per cent)
Total2 2,820 10.60 202 14.10
of which: Persons who left job within last 3 years 31,719 6.70 121 0.90
of which: occupation in previous job
Codot Major Group
1. Professional and related supporting management and administration 48 2.80 — —
2. Professional and related in education, welfare and health 80 3.50 — —
3. Literary, artistic and sports 26 8.20 — —
4. Professional and related in science, engineering, technology and similar fields 28 2.60 — —
5. Management 83 3.70 — —
6. Clerical and related 205 5.10 — —
7. Selling 144 7.90 11 9.70
8. Security and protective service 26 5.60 — —
9. Catering, cleaning, hairdressing and other personal services 238 7.70 16 8.60
10. Farming, fishing and related 61 13.20 — —

Male unemployed claimants in Cleveland county—July 1987
Aged 40 and over Aged 50 and over
Number unemployed for over five years 2,955 1,645
Number unemployed for over three years 4,952 2,830
Median duration1 (uncompleted spells) 106 weeks 111 weeks
1 The median duration is the time spent unemployed exceeded by 50 per cent, of those unemployed on the count day. Mean durations of unemployment are not available.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen in the last 12 months.

Mr. Lee

The following information is in the Library: on 10 September 1987 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom had fallen by 462,702 over the last 12 months.

Mr. Henderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, with regard to the 1986 labour force survey, if he will outline in detail, showing data for the northern region separately(a) the numbers out of work in each major occupational group and (b) the proportions of the economically active population that these figures represent.

Mr. Lee

The 1986 labour force survey estimates are as shown in the table.

Unemployed Persons1 Great Britain Northern Region
Unemployed (Thousands) As proportion of Economically Active (Per cent.) Unemployed ( Thousands ) As proportion of Economically Active (Per cent.)
11. Processing, making, repairing and related (excluding metal and electrical) 131 7.70 — —
12. Processing, making, repairing and related (metal and electrical) 175 7.10 20 8.90
13. Painting, rcpetative assembly, product inspecting, packaging and related 129 11.90 — —
14. Construction, mining and related NIE 139 15.30 12 21.70
15. Transport operating, materials moving and related 129 8.90 — —
16. Miscellaneous 74 19.30 — —
Broad Grouping
Managerial and professional 265 3.50 12 3.60
Clerical and related 200 5.20 — —
Other non-manual 142 7.10 10 8.40
Craft and similar occupations 334 7.90 32 12.60
General labourers 67 0.21 — —
Other manual occupations 706 9.50 51 11.90
1 Those without a job who were looking for work in the survey reference week.
2 Includes 1,100 thousand in Great Britain (80 thousand in Northern region) who had never had a job or left their last job three or more years ago (not asked about previous occupation.
3 Includes 4 thousand in Great Britain who had had a job within last 3 years but did not state that occupation.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the total employed labour force in each quarter since January 1970; what has been the total working population in each quarter over the same period; what has the former been as a percentage of the latter throughout this period; and what has been the size of the change in both the employed labour force and the total working population each quarter since 1970.

Employed Labour force and Working Population in Great Britain
Seasonally Adjusted Thousands
Employed Labour Force Quarter Change Working Population Quarter Change Employed Labour Force as percent of Working Population
1970 Q1 24,282 24,843 98
Q2 24,183 -99 24,752 -91 98
Q3 24,187 4 24,761 9 98
Q4 24,183 -4 224,776 15 98
1974 Q1 123,944 -239 24,530 -246 98
Q2 23,961 17 24,637 107 97
Q3 23,787 -174 24,498 -139 97
Q4 23,773 -14 24,559 61 97
1975 Q1 23,935 162 24,748 189 97
Q2 23,947 12 24,698 -50 97
Q3 24,055 108 24,785 87 97
Q4 24,210 155 24,877 92 97
1973 Q1 24,505 295 25,081 204 98
Q2 24,511 6 25,051 -30 98
Q3 24,541 30 25,014 -37 98
Q4 24,559 18 24,980 -34 98
1974 Q1 24,507 -52 25,008 28 98
Q2 24,578 71 25,099 91 98
Q3 24,669 91 25,226 127 98
Q4 24,612 -57 25,206 -20 98
1975 Q1 24,509 -103 25,203 -3 97
Q2 24,481 -28 25,317 114 97
Q3 24,426 -55 25,389 72 96
Q4 24,353 -73 25,463 74 96
1976 Q1 24,285 -68 25,462 -1 95
Q2 24,261 -24 25,482 20 95
Q3 24,263 2 25,475 -7 95
Q4 24,278 15 25,516 41 95
1977 Q1 24,285 7 25,531 15 95
Q2 24,282 -3 25,574 43 95

Mr. Fowler

[pursuant to his reply, 21 October 1987, c. 742]: The figures are set out in the following table. Both the employed labour force and the working population have now been increasing for 17 successive quarters. The employed labour force has increased by 1.36 million since March 1983.

Employed Labour Force Quarter Change Working Population Quarter Change Employed Labour Force as percent of Working Population
Q3 24,299 17 25,621 47 95
Q4 24,297 -2 25,618 -3 95
1978 Q1 24,369 72 25,653 35 95
Q2 24,407 38 25,664 11 95
Q3 24,503 96 25,741 77 95
Q4 24,658 155 25,836 95 95
1979 Q1 24,699 41 25,881 45 95
Q2 24,767 68 25,916 35 96
Q3 24,844 77 25,957 41 96
Q4 24,886 42 26,014 57 96
1980 Q1 24,824 -62 26,052 38 95
Q2 24,706 -118 26,088 36 95
Q3 24,470 -236 26,117 29 94
Q4 24,205 -265 26,176 59 92
1981 Q1 23,966 -239 26,058 -118 92
Q2 23,754 -212 26,028 -30 91
Q3 23,630 -124 26,038 10 91
Q4 23,489 -141 25,995 -43 90
1982 Q1 23,435 -54 25,983 -12 90
Q2 23,329 -106 25,944 -39 90
Q3 23,202 -127 25,907 -37 90
Q4 23,061 -141 25,858 -49 89
1983 Q1 22,997 -64 25,841 -17 89
Q2 23,039 42 25,947 106 89
Q3 23,165 126 26,077 130 89
Q4 23,293 128 26,217 140 89
1984 Q1 23,399 106 26,363 146 89
Q2 23,492 93 26,461 98 89
Q3 23,574 82 26,608 147 89
Q4 23,715 141 26,783 175 89
1985 Q1 23,802 87 26,890 107 89
Q2 23,879 77 26,977 87 89
Q3 23,917 38 27,021 44 89
Q4 23,951 34 27,077 56 88
1986 Q1 23,964 13 27,154 77 88
Q2 23,987 23 27,181 27 88
Q3 24,041 54 27,188 7 88
Q4 24,117 76 27,199 11 89
1987 Q1 24,225 108 27,225 26 89
Q2 24,359 134 27,233 8 89
1 Estimates for self-employed prior to 1971 were updated using national insurance cards. From 1971 estimates are updated using labour force survey. See Employment Gazette. February 1983. pps 55–56.
2 These figures allow for changes in the coverage of the unemployment statistics from 1971 onwards. Figures before 1971 include those registered as unemployed at employment offices, whereas the figures used from 1971 onwards relate to claimants at unemployment benefit offices, estimated on the current definition.