§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) at what rate 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months left the unemployment count in March 1998; [102110]
(2) if he will provide a breakdown of the average monthly rate at which 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months left the unemployment count for each year from 1990 to 1999; [102112]
(3) what has been the average monthly rate at which 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months have left the unemployment count since April 1998. [102111]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answers 9 December 1999]: The 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. John Bercow, dated 12 January 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions on the average monthly rate at which 18–24 year olds left the unemployment count.
The ONS publishes a monthly count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits. The claimant count consists of all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.
An average of 22.4 per cent. of people aged 18–24 years who were claiming unemployment-related benefits for six months or more (computerised claims only) left the claimant count each month in the United Kingdom between April 1998 and October 1999.
The corresponding percentage between 12 March 1998 and 9 April 1998, was 14.0 per cent.
The available information for 1990 to 1999 is given in the following table.
202W
18–24 year old claimants unemployed 6 months or more who left the count as a percentage of all 18–24 year olds claiming for six months or more, United Kingdom; yearly averages from 1990 to 1999 Year Age 18–24 1990 13.1 1991 9.8 1992 9.3 1993 9.9 1994 10.9
18–24 year old claimants unemployed 6 months or more who left the count as a percentage of all 18–24 year olds claiming for six months or more, United Kingdom; yearly averages from 1990 to 1999 Year Age 18–24 1995 11.3 1996 12.2 1997 15.0 1998 17.8 19991 27.1 1Average of the 10 months January to October 1999