§ Ms. Joyce QuinTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list in respect of Northern Ireland(a) the average rate of unemployment and the European Community average in the last three years and (b) the percentage of industrial employment in total employment and the European Community average.
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 7 July 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Annual Average Unemployment1 Rates Northern Ireland2 European Community3 1986 17.6 10.8 1987 17.6 10.4 1988 16.4 10.0 1. The Northern Ireland and European Community rates are not directly comparable because they are based on different definitions of unemployment. 2 The Northern Ireland figures are based on the seasonally adjusted unemployment series. 3 Produced by Eurostat. (b) For 1987 (the latest year for which figures for the EC are available) industrial employment is estimated to have constituted 26.4 per cent. of total employment in Northern Ireland and 32.8 per cent. of total employment in the European Community.