HC Deb 28 July 1988 vol 138 cc474-6W
Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on current levels of unemployment in the north-west.

Mr. Lee

In June 1988 seasonally adjusted unemployment excluding school leavers was 331,200 in the north-west, compared with 398,900 in June 1987, a fall of 67,700 over the last 12 months.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the reduction in unemployment each month since May 1986; and what has been the increase in the number of persons in employment for each of these months.

Mr. Lee

Following is the available information. Table A shows the level of seasonally adjusted unemployed claimants, excluding school leavers, in the United Kingdom for each month together with the change over the previous month from May 1986. Estimates of total employment are not available monthly. Table B gives the quarterly numbers and changes in the work force in employment in the United Kingdom for each quarter month since June 1986.

Table A
Unemployed claimants in United Kingdom:
May 1986 to June 1988
Seasonally adjusted excluding school leavers
thousands
Number Change over month
1986
May 3,200.1 5.2
June 3,208.8 8.7
July 3,210.3 1.5
August 3,206.3 -4.0
September 3,185.7 -20.6
October 3,163.5 -22.2
November 3,150.7 -12.8
December 3,120.7 -30.0
1987
January 3,112.2 -8.5
February 3,066.5 -45.7
March 3,037.3 -29.2
April 3,021.4 -15.9
May 2,950.9 -70.5
June 2,922.2 -28.7
July 2,8731 -49.1
August 2,825.5 -47.6
September 2,772.2 -53.3
October 2,713.6 -58.6
November 2,650.8 -62.8
December 2,613.9 -36.9
1988
January 2,564.7 -49.2
February 2,532.6 -32.1
March 2,5040 -28.6
April 2,453.1 -50.9
May 2,414.2 -38.9
June 2,375.3 -38.9

Table B
Workforce in employment in United Kingdom:
June 1986 to March 1988
Seasonally adjusted
thousands
Workforce in employment1 Change since previous quarter
June 1986 24,746 +50
September 1986 24,883 +137
December 1986 24,982 +99
March 1987 25,080 +98
June 1987 25,291 +211
September 1987 25,449 +158
December 1987 25,578 +129
March 1988 25,697 +119
1 The work force in employment comprises employees in employment, the self-employed, Her Majesty's Forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes. This last group is not seasonally adjusted.