§ 6. Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest unemployment levels in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. JacksonIn September 1990, the unadjusted level of unemployment in the Liverpool travel-to-work area was 62,324, a fall of 35 per cent. since the June 1987 election. The comparison is affected by the change in benefit regulations for under 18-year-olds in September 1988 as well as seasonal influences.
§ 16. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide the latest figures for unemployment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardIn September 1990 seasonally adjusted unemployment in the United Kingdom was 1,666,700 or 5.8 per cent. of the work force. The United Kingdom has one of the very lowest rates of unemployment in the European Community.
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§ 19. Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the member states of the European Community with a higher rate of unemployment than the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HowardUsing the latest available internationally comparable figures, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain all have a higher rate of unemployment than the United Kingdom.
§ 20. Mr. Jacques ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the statistics for unemployment in Gravesham in June 1987 and in the most recent month for which statistics are available.
Mr. JacksonIn June 1987 the numbers of unemployed claimants, not seasonally adjusted, in the Gravesham parliamentary constituency were 4,159. This compares with 2,262 in September 1990, a fall of 84 per cent.
The comparison is affected by the change in benefit regulations for under 18-year-olds in September 1988 as well as seasonal influences.
§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the unemployment rate by ethnic origin and age in inner and outer London in 1970, 1980 and the latest date available.
Mr. Jackson[holding answer 12 November 1990]: The estimates below compare the unemployment rates amongst ethnic minority groups in Greater London in spring 1989 with those in spring 1984. The 1989 labour force survey (LFS) is the latest for which information is available and the earliest comparable data is from the 1984 LFS.
Unemployment rates by ethnic origin in Greater London Aged 16 and over Per cent. 1984 1989 All persons 9.9 6.7 White 8.7 5.8 Non-white 17.5 11.9 —West Indian/Guyanese 20.0 13.5 —Indian 11.5 8.9 —Pakistani/Bangladeshi 28.1 27.3 —Other ethnic origins 19.3 9.1 Source: Labour Force Survey.
The LFS is a sample survey of approximately 60,000 households in Great Britain conducted in the spring of each year. Because of this small sample size, the LFS does not provide reliable detailed estimates for small proportion groups within regions.