HC Deb 24 July 1989 vol 157 cc481-2W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number and proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in the northern region and Durham in full-time employment or recognised training schemes or unemployed.

Mr. Cope

Data for each of the groups requested, on a comparable basis, is available only from the labour force survey. Preliminary estimates from the 1988 LFS are shown in the following table:

16 and 17 year olds—Northern region Spring 1988, thousands and percent
000's Per cent.3
(i) employees and self-employed in full-time1 employment 15 16.2
(ii) on government employment and training programmes 16 17.2
(iii) unemployed2 11 11.8
1 Based on respondents own assessments, not on the number of hours worked.
2 ILO/OECD definition.
3 As percentage of all 16 and 17 year olds.

Source: 1988 LFS, Preliminary results.

The LFS is a survey of private households based on a sample large enough to provide estimates at national and regional level. However, it cannot provide estimates for smaller areas, such as Durham.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report the number and percentage increase or decrease in employment in the United Kingdom and the European Community as a whole between 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available, giving the total, full-time employment and part-time employment separately.

Mr. Lee

Employment estimates are not yet available for many EC countries after 1987. The changes in total civilian employment for the United Kingdom and the EC as a whole between 1979 and 1987 are shown in the table. A breakdown of these figures between full-time and part-time employment is not available.

Change in Civilian Employment: 1979 to 1987
Thousand per cent.
United Kingdom -19 -0.1
EC12 + 701 + 0.6

Sources: United Kingdom (ED), Other EC countries (EUROSTAT)