§ 23. Mr. HoltTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about unemployment in Cleveland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsIn recent months my Department has received one letter on unemployment in Cleveland. In the year to November 1989, unemployment in Cleveland county fell from 36,150 to 27,964, a reduction of 22.6 per cent. on the November 1988 figure.
§ 24. Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what amount the work force in the United Kingdom has increased in the last quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardThe work force in employment in the United Kingdom increased by 78,000 in the last quarter to stand at 26,341,000 in June 1989—the highest level ever.
§ 25. Mr. DunnTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the fall in the numbers of unemployed in the latest month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. HowardBetween October and November 1989, seasonally adjusted unemployment in the United Kingdom fell by 25,200. Unemployment has now fallen for 40 consecutive months on a consistent basis and is now at its lowest for over nine years.
§ 45. Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the fall in unemployment for the last quarter and what were the figures for the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe following table shows the change in unemployment in the United Kingdom for the latest available quarter and the change for the corresponding quarter in each of the last five years. Unemployment has now fallen for 40 consecutive months and is at its lowest level for over nine years.
Change in unemployment (seasonally adjusted) Thousands 1 quarter 3 change 1984 +57.3 1985 +16.6 1986 -15.9 1987 -139.1 1988 -132.4 1989 -115.4 1 September compared with previous June.
§ 46. Mr. Andrew MacKayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.
§ Mr. NichollsIn November 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,649,700, the lowest for over nine years.
§ 47. Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently unemployed in the Devon, North constituency; and how many in 1979.
§ Mr. NichollsFigures for current parliamentary constituencies are available only back to June 1983 when there were 3,124 unemployed claimants in the parliamentary constituency of Devon, North. This compares with 1,968 in November 1989, a fall of 1,156 or 37 per cent. The comparison is affected by the change in the compilation of the unemployment count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and by the change in benefit regulations affecting under 18-year-olds in September 1988.
§ 48. Mr. ConwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest quarterly figure for those in work in the United Kingdom, and what were the comparable figures for the last five years.
§ Mr. NichollsIn June 1989, the United Kingdom work force in employment, seasonally adjusted, stood at 26,341,000—the highest level ever. The table shows comparable figures for the past five years:
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Workforce in employment—United Kingdom Annual change Workforce in employment Thousands1 Actual Percentage June 1984 24,226 — — June 1985 24,527 300 1.2 June 1986 24,553 26 0.1
Annual change Workforce in employment Thousands1 Actual Percentage June 1987 25,065 512 2.1 June 1988 25,864 799 3.2 June 1989 26,341 477 1.8 1 Seasonally adjusted.
§ 56. Mr. ButterfillTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage of unemployed people in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Canada; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsIn September 1989, the latest date for which international standardised unemployment rates are available, the percentage of unemployed claimants, seasonally adjusted, was 6 per cent. in the United Kingdom and 7.3 per cent. in Canada. Over the past two years the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom has fallen faster than in any other major industrialised country.
§ 77. Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average unemployment rate in the United Kingdom and in each country of the European Community for each of the last five years.
§ 64. Mr. MadelTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average level of unemployment in the other members of the European Community; what is the comparable level of unemployment in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsIn October 1989, the latest available date, the rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom was 6.2 per cent. compared to an EEC average of 9.1 per cent. Over the past two years the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom has fallen faster than in any other major industrialised country.
§ 66. Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the fall in the numbers of long-term unemployed in the latest month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe number of claimants in the United Kingdom unemployed for 12 months or more fell by 62,000 between July 1989 and October 1989. Long-term unemployment continues to fall at a faster rate than total unemployment.
§ 67. Mr. Colin ShepherdTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are now in employment in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe work force in employment in the United Kingdom was 26,341,000 in June 1989; that is the latest figure available, and is at its highest level ever.
§ 69. Mr. HagueTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the fall in the rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom over the last two years; what were the figures in other OECD countries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe table shows for the United Kingdom and for each other OECD country, the change in the standardised unemployment rate, over the latest available 225W two-year period. Over the past two years unemployment has fallen faster in the United Kingdom than in any other major industrialised country.
International comparisons of unemployment rates latest month compared with two years earlier (OECD standardised unemployment rates) Country 1 Percentage points change United Kingdom -3.8 Spain -3.2 Portugal (May) -2.2 Belgium -1.9 Australia -1.7 Finland (August) -1.5 Canada -1.1 France -0.9 Germany -0.7 United States -0.6 Japan -0.6 Sweden -0.4 Netherlands (January) -0.2 Italy (April)0.2 Norway (May) 3.1 Note: September 1989 unless otherwise stated.
§ 73. Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment which region in the United Kingdom recorded the greatest fall in the rate of unemployment in the last quarter.
§ Mr. NichollsScotland.
§ 75. Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on employment levels in the north of England.
§ Mr. NichollsIn the three regions, north, north-west, and Yorkshire and Humberside, the civilian work force in employment was 6,126,000 in June 1989, an increase of 403,000 or 7 per cent. in the last five years.
§ 76. Mr. Barry PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures his Department has taken to help further reduce unemployment in Merseyside; how successful these have been; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsMy Department, through its employment service and Training Agency, operates a wide range of employment, enterprise and training measures, which are all available in Merseyside, as well as elsewhere.
In addition, as in other inner city areas, a number of initiatives have been adopted aimed at helping unemployed people in Liverpool to find employment, and at encouraging employers to recruit local unemployed people. Since April the Liverpool city action team has approved 29 employment and training projects which will create almost 800 jobs and training places, and improve the facilities for nearly 1,300 training places.
During the 12 months to November 1989 unemployment in Merseyside county has fallen by 16,166–16.4 per cent. of the November 1988 figure.
§ 79. Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in jobs in the north-west in the most recent five-year period for which figures are available.
§ Mr. NichollsThe civilian work force in employment in the north-west has increased by 202,000 (8 per cent.) from 2,570,000 to 2,772,000 over the five years from June 1984 to June 1989.
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§ Mr. LeeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the percentage unemployment reductions in Lancashire travel-to-work areas since June 1987.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information is available in the Library. Percentage changes in unemployment between June 1987 and November 1989 for all travel-to-work areas covering the county of Lancashire were:
Travel-to-work areas Percentage change1 Pendle -58.4 Settle -56.3 Clitheroe -53.1 Accrington and Rossendale -50.5 Burnley -50.4 Blackpool -45.8 Bolton and Bury -44.9 Preston -44.6 Blackburn -43.0 Wigan and St. Helens -42.4 Rochdale -42.1 Lancaster and Morecambe -39.0 Liverpool -34.1 1 unadjusted.