Labour Statistics (Hansard, 16 March 1994)

Mr. Alan W. Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the number of(a) full-time male employees and (b) part-time female employees since May 1979.

§ Miss Widdecombe
Estimates of part-time and full-time employees are available only for quarter months. The available information is shown in the table:

Employees in employment: Great Britain (Seasonally adjusted)

Thousands

Male Full-time Female Part-time

Jun 1979 ¹12,390 3,837

September 1993² 9,405 4,794

Change -2,985 +957

¹ June 1978. Male full-time estimates are not available for 1979.

² Latest available.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of people were shown as out of work or seeking it in the labour force survey, in each quarter since 1979; what was the percentage of official unemployment as measured at the time and the percentage on the unemployment count as now calculated; and if he will make a statement explaining trends in the differences between the figures.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
The official measure of unemployment from the labour force survey is shown for the period requested in the table. These figures have remained the same as when first published. For comparative purposes, the claimant unemployment figures on the consistent seasonally adjusted and unadjusted bases are also given. Since the introduction of the internationally comparable International Labour Organisation measure of unemployment in 1984 both official measures of unemployment have shown broadly similar trends.
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Comparative Great Britain unemployment rates 1979–1993 (seasonally adjusted)

Period¹ ILO unemployment rate (per cent.)² Claimant unemployment rate (per cent.)³ Unadjusted unemployment rate (per cent.)⁴

Spring 1979 ²5.6 4.0 ⁵5.4

Spring 1981 ²9.5 7.6 ⁵10.4

Spring 1983 ²11.0 10.3 12.9

Spring 1984 11.7 10.4 11.3

Spring 1984 11.7 10.4 11.3

Spring 1985 11.1 10.8 11.6

Spring 1986 11.1 11.0 11.7

Spring 1987 10.6 10.3 10.8

Spring 1988 8.6 8.3 8.7

Spring 1989 7.1 6.3 6.4

Spring 1990 6.6 5.4 5.5

Spring 1991 8.2 7.4 7.6

Spring 1992 9.5 9.5 9.6

Summer 1992 9.9 9.7 9.7

Autumn 1992 10.2 10.1 10.0

Winter 1992–93 10.6 10.5 10.7

Spring 1993 10.3 10.3 10.5

Summer 1993 10.3 10.3 10.3

¹ From 1979 to 1983 the labour force survey was carried out biennially, and between 1984 and 1992, annually. Since spring 1992 the LFS has been conducted quarterly.

² The labour force definition of unemployment applied for the years 1979–1984. Thereafter, the internationally agreed ILO definition of unemployment has been used. This definition counts as unemployed those people without paid jobs who were available to start work within the next two weeks and had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already obtained. The LF definition of unemployment used prior to 1984 is essentially the same as the ILO version, except for the fact that it is based on looking for work in the single week prior to interview rather than four weeks as with the ILO definition. The ILO unemployment rate is the percentage of economically active people who are unemployed on the ILO measure.

³ Seasonally adjusted unemployment consistent with current coverage. This series is based on the count of those claiming unemployment related-benefits at Employment Service local offices, formerly unemployment benefit offices—"the claimant count"—who on the day of the count were out of work, available for work, and actively seeking employment. The denominator used to calculate the rate consists of the unemployed, employees in employment, the self-employed, those on work related Government training schemes and Her Majesty's forces. The claimant count figures are the weighted averages of the published figures for the months of each LFS quarter.

⁴ (a) "Claimant" or "Registrant" count figures that have not been adjusted for seasonal influences or for changes in the coverage of the monthly count.

(b) From 1981 onwards the figures are from the claimant count. The 1983 rate uses the same denominator as the registrant count. Thereafter the denominator as described in (3) above.

⁵ The 1979 and 1981 figures are from the "registrant count", a count of those registered as out of work. This count was abandoned in October 1982 when registration at a jobcentre became voluntary and threatened the integrity of the count. The denominator used to calculate the rate consisted of the unemployed and employees in employment.

Employees in employment: Great Britain (Seasonally adjusted)
Thousands
	Male Full-time	Female Part-time
Jun 1979	¹12,390	3,837
September 1993²	9,405	4,794
Change	-2,985	+957
¹ June 1978. Male full-time estimates are not available for 1979.
² Latest available.

Comparative Great Britain unemployment rates 1979–1993 (seasonally adjusted)
Period¹	ILO unemployment rate (per cent.)²	Claimant unemployment rate (per cent.)³	Unadjusted unemployment rate (per cent.)⁴
Spring 1979	²5.6	4.0	⁵5.4
Spring 1981	²9.5	7.6	⁵10.4
Spring 1983	²11.0	10.3	12.9
Spring 1984	11.7	10.4	11.3
Spring 1984	11.7	10.4	11.3
Spring 1985	11.1	10.8	11.6
Spring 1986	11.1	11.0	11.7
Spring 1987	10.6	10.3	10.8
Spring 1988	8.6	8.3	8.7
Spring 1989	7.1	6.3	6.4
Spring 1990	6.6	5.4	5.5
Spring 1991	8.2	7.4	7.6
Spring 1992	9.5	9.5	9.6
Summer 1992	9.9	9.7	9.7
Autumn 1992	10.2	10.1	10.0
Winter 1992–93	10.6	10.5	10.7
Spring 1993	10.3	10.3	10.5
Summer 1993	10.3	10.3	10.3
¹ From 1979 to 1983 the labour force survey was carried out biennially, and between 1984 and 1992, annually. Since spring 1992 the LFS has been conducted quarterly.
² The labour force definition of unemployment applied for the years 1979–1984. Thereafter, the internationally agreed ILO definition of unemployment has been used. This definition counts as unemployed those people without paid jobs who were available to start work within the next two weeks and had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already obtained. The LF definition of unemployment used prior to 1984 is essentially the same as the ILO version, except for the fact that it is based on looking for work in the single week prior to interview rather than four weeks as with the ILO definition. The ILO unemployment rate is the percentage of economically active people who are unemployed on the ILO measure.
³ Seasonally adjusted unemployment consistent with current coverage. This series is based on the count of those claiming unemployment related-benefits at Employment Service local offices, formerly unemployment benefit offices—"the claimant count"—who on the day of the count were out of work, available for work, and actively seeking employment. The denominator used to calculate the rate consists of the unemployed, employees in employment, the self-employed, those on work related Government training schemes and Her Majesty's forces. The claimant count figures are the weighted averages of the published figures for the months of each LFS quarter.
⁴ (a) "Claimant" or "Registrant" count figures that have not been adjusted for seasonal influences or for changes in the coverage of the monthly count.
(b) From 1981 onwards the figures are from the claimant count. The 1983 rate uses the same denominator as the registrant count. Thereafter the denominator as described in (3) above.
⁵ The 1979 and 1981 figures are from the "registrant count", a count of those registered as out of work. This count was abandoned in October 1982 when registration at a jobcentre became voluntary and threatened the integrity of the count. The denominator used to calculate the rate consisted of the unemployed and employees in employment.