Mr. SilvermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the levels of youth unemployment in percentage terms for(a) 16 to 18-year-olds and (b) 18 to 25-year-olds in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. NichollsThe available information is published in table 2.15 of theEmployment Gazette. Summarised are the figures for April of each year from 1980 to 1988, taken from this publication. Direct comparisons of unemployment by age since 1980 are not possible because of changes in the coverage of the count.
Table A. Rates by age. Unemployed registrants April Under 18 Per cent. 18–19 Per cent. 20–24 Per cent. 1980 13.3 11.0 9.3 1981 17.8 18.7 15.6 1982 22.4 22.8 17.9
Table B. Rates by age. Unemployed claimants April Under 18 Per cent. 18–19 Per cent. 20–24 Per cent. 1983 24.0 23.6 17.1 1984 18.9 24.6 17.1 1985 18.8 23.3 17.5 11986 21.5 21.8 17.2 1987 13.8 20.6 15.7 1988 11.5 15.4 12.4 1Because of a change in the compilation of the unemployment statistics, unadjusted figures from April 1986 are not directly comparable with earlier figures.