§ 27. Mr. GapesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in which member states of the European Union more jobs have been created than in the United Kingdom since 1990. [25105]
§ Mr. ForthThere has been a widespread fall in the number of jobs in European Union countries since 1990. Only Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria have seen net increases over that period. In the UK, employment fell in the early 1990s but has since recovered quickly, and over the last three years more jobs have been created in the UK than in all other major European countries put together.
§ 33. Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of policies in creating jobs in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU countries. [25112]
§ Mr. ForthThe UK, which has the most flexible and deregulated labour market in Europe, also has a higher proportion of the adult population in work, and a lower unemployment rate, than any other major EU country. Between 1983 and 1992, the UK created over 2 million jobs, more than France and Italy combined.