§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many unemployed(a) male and (b) female 16 to 24-year-olds in the City of Durham (i) had never been employed and (ii) had been unemployed for more than a year, in each of the last five years; and what were the highest levels of unemployment recorded in Durham in each of the last five years for (a) 16 to 24 year olds and (b) those aged 25 years. [108012]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 2 February 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on unemployed people in Durham.The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is in the ONS's main source of labour market data on individuals. The measure of unemployment derived from the LFS is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The LFS can provide information on people aged 16 to 24 who have never been employed and people aged 16 to 24 who have been unemployed for more than a year. However, no LFS data on people who have never been employed and the length of ILO unemployment are available below county level.As with any sample survey, Labour Force Survey estimates are subject to sampling variability. The smaller the estimate, the larger the variability relative to the size of the estimate and even for Durham county such analyses will not provide reliable estimates.The ONS also publishes figures on the number of people who are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance Credits. This is published monthly and is known as the claimant count.Detailed information for the City of Durham constituency on claimant count levels and monthly analyses of computerised claims by specific age and duration bands can be obtained from the Nomis database at the House of Commons Library. The claimant count has been on a downward trend in each of the last five years in the City of Durham constituency. The highest point during this period was in January 1996.