HC Deb 08 January 1990 vol 164 cc486-7W
Mr. Andrew Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the fall in unemployment since June 1987; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Nicholls

Since June 1987 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom has fallen by 1,207,500 to 1,649,700 in November 1989 and is now at its lowest level for over nine years.

Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rise in the number of people in employment in the last quarter; and what were the comparable figures for other countries in the European Community.

Mr. Nicholls

In the second quarter of 1989, the latest date for which information is available, the civilian work force in employment in the United Kingdom rose by 82,000 (0.3 per cent.) to 26,033,000. Quarterly data are published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

European comparisons of civilian employment
Seasonally adjusted
Thousands
Q4 1988 Q1 1989 Q2 1989 Changes Q1 1989 to Q2 1989
Thousands Percentage
United Kingdom 25,787 25,951 26,033 82 03
Germany 26,842 27,011 27,075 64 0.2
Italy 20,700 20,695 20,674 -21 -0.1
Spain 11,895 12,053 12,208 155 1.3
Portugal 4,322 4,363 n.a. 41 0.9
France1 21,264 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
1 Figures for France are unadjusted and are published only for the fourth quarter of each year.

Source: "Quarterly Labour Force Statistics 3/1989" (OECD) except United Kingdom (ED).