HC Deb 14 July 1988 vol 137 cc335-7W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list unemployment levels as a

OECD Standardised unemployment rates (per cent, of labour force) seasonally adjusted
Quarter United Kingdom Belgium France Germany Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain United States Sweden
1979
1 5.1 8.0 5.7 3.4 7.5 5.4 n/a 7.8 5.8 2.2
2 5.0 8.1 5.8 3.1 7.5 5.4 n/a 8.2 5.6 2.2
3 4.9 8.2 5.9 3.0 7.9 5.4 n/a 8.7 5.8 2.0
4 4.9 8.2 6.0 3.0 7.4 5.3 n/a 9.3 5.8 1.8
1980
1 5.3 8.2 6.1 2.8 7.6 5.4 n/a 10.1 6.2 1.8
2 5.9 8.4 6.2 2.9 7.3 5.6 n/a 11.1 7.2 2.0
3 6.8 9.0 6.2 3.1 7.6 6.2 n/a 11.4 7.6 1.9
4 7.9 9.4 6.5 3.4 7.5 6.9 n/a 12.2 7.3 2.2
1981
1 8.8 10.0 6.8 3.8 7.1 7.5 n/a 12.9 7.3 2.2
2 9.6 10.6 7.2 4.2 7.8 8.2 n/a 13.7 7.3 2.2
3 10.2 11.1 7.6 4.6 7.9 8.8 n/a 14.3 7.3 2.5
4 10.6 11.4 7.9 5.3 8.5 9.5 n/a 14.9 8.1 3.0
1982
1 10.8 12.1 7.9 5.5 8.5 10.2 n/a 15.1 8.7 3.0
2 11.0 12.5 8.0 5.9 8.3 11.1 n/a 15.5 9.3 3.0
3 11.5 12.7 8.2 6.3 8.5 11.7 n/a 16.1 9.8 3.4
4 11.7 13.1 8.3 7.0 8.5 12.4 n/a 16.5 10.5 3.1
1983
1 12.3 11.7 8.2 7.7 8.9 11.5 n/a 16.8 10.2 3.3
2 12.5 11.9 8.2 8.1 9.5 12.1 7.3 16.9 9.9 3.5
3 12.6 12.3 8.3 8.1 9.2 12.1 8.3 17.4 9.2 3.6
4 12.4 12.4 8.5 8.0 9.6 12.3 8.0 17.8 8.4 3.4
1984
1 11.9 12.2 9.2 7.0 10.1 12.2 8.1 19.0 7.8 3.2
2 11.7 12.2 9.6 7.1 10.0 12.2 8.3 19.8 7.4 3.2
3 11.6 12.1 9.8 7.1 9.7 11.7 8.5 20.3 7.3 3.1
4 11.6 11.9 10.1 7.1 9.8 11.2 8.7 21.1 7.2 3.0
1985
1 11.4 11.6 10.2 7.2 10.0 10.9 8.4 21.1 7.2 3.0
2 11.2 11.4 10.2 7.3 9.9 10.7 8.7 21.5 7.2 2.9
3 11.1 11.2 10.2 7.1 10.2 10.5 8.2 21.5 7.1 2.8
4 11.1 11.2 10.2 7.0 10.5 10.3 8.9 21.5 7.0 2.7
1986
1 11.1 11.2 10.1 6.8 10.6 10.2 8.9 21.3 6.9 2.8
2 11.2 11.2 10.3 6.5 10.9 10.0 8.7 21.1 7.1 2.7
3 11.3 11.1 10.5 6.4 10.9 9.8 8.3 20.9 6.9 2.6
4 11.2 11.2 10.5 6.3 n/a 9.7 7.9 20.7 6.8 2.6
1987
1 11.0 11.2 10.6 6.4 n/a 9.6 7.6 20.7 6.5 2.0
2 10.6 11.1 10.7 6.5 n/a 9.6 7.1 20.2 6.2 1.9
3 10.0 10.9 10.6 6.5 n/a 9.4 6.8 20.0 5.9 1.9
4 9.5 10.6 10.4 6.5 n/a 9.5 6.4 19.6 5.8 1.7
1988
1 9.0 10.4 10.4 6.5 n/a 9.5 6.5 19.4 5.6 1.7

Source: OECD Quarterly Labour Force Statistics.

percentage of work force for each of the European Economic Community countries and the United States of America, Sweden and Japan for each quarter since the first quarter of 1979.

Mr. Lee

Following is the available information. The tables show standardised unemployment rates published by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development where these are available for each quarter since 1979. The same information is not available for Ireland, Greece, Denmark and Luxembourg but annual averages for 1983–87, and rates for the first quarter of 1988 are given based on similar "harmonised" unemployment rates published by the statistical office of the European Communities.

"Harmonised" rates compiled by SOEC (per cent, of civilian labour force)
Annual averages
Ireland Greece Denmark Luxembourg
1983 15.2 9.0 9.5 3.6
1984 17.0 9.3 9.2 3.0
1985 18.4 8.7 7.6 2.9
1986 18.5 8.2 5.8 2.7
1987 19.2 8.0 5.9 3.1
19881 18.9 n/a 6.2 30
1 Quarter—March.

Source: Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC).