§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each year since 1984(a) annually and (b) quarterly the number of people in Great Britain surveyed by the labour force survey who, although they are without a job, have looked for a job within the four weeks prior to their labour force survey interview or are waiting to start a job within the two weeks following their labour force survey interview, and the number of 95W people who are neither in employment nor unemployed on the International Labour Organisation measure but who said they would like a job.
§ Mr. OppenheimThe information available from the labour force survey is shown in the following table, classified to the categories economically inactive and International Labour Organisation unemployed as defined by the international guidelines set out by the ILO.
Up-to-date figures for the groups tabulated are published quarterly, in greater detail, in both the LFS "Quarterly Bulletin" and in the LFS helpline section of the Employment Gazette; these data show that the majority of people within the economically inactive group who say they want work but are not actively seeking it are students; looking after a family or home; or long-term sick or disabled. Although such detailed information about the economically inactive group was not collected prior to 1984, the available figures for spring 1979 show that 23 per cent. of the population of working age were economically inactive, compared with 21 per cent. in autumn 1994, the latest available figure.
ILO unemployed and economically inactive people who would like a job Great Britain not seasonally adjusted Thousands ILO Unemployed1 Economically Inactive2 Quarter Wants job3 but not seeking work in past 4 weeks Wants job3 and seeking work but not available to start in next 2 weeks Spring 1984 3,094 2,198 216 Spring 1985 2,968 2,039 227 Spring 1986 2,969 2,106 210 Spring 1987 2,879 1,971 209 Spring 1988 2,376 1,985 199 Spring 1989 1,978 2,090 224 Spring 1990 1,869 2,011 187 Spring 1991 2,302 2,025 220 Spring 1992 2,649 1,906 313 Summer 1992 2,797 1,913 277 Autumn 1992 2,801 1,897 231 Winter 1992–93 2,920 1,945 232 Spring 1993 2,804 1,885 310 Summer 1993 2,894 2,003 245 Autumn 1993 2,792 2,036 190 Winter 1993–94 2,737 2,168 206 Spring 1994 2,615 2,059 264 Summer 1994 2,679 2,036 225 Autumn 1994 2,470 4— 4— Source:Labour Force Survey
1 The ILO definition counts as unemployed those people without a paid job 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.
2 People who are neither in employment nor ILO unemployed according to the international guidelines of the ILO.
3 According to responses to the LFS question.
4 Not yet available.