§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What factors have been identified as responsible for the unemployment differential between Protestants and Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland.[HL1965]
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)A substantial body of research has indicated that the difference in the unemployment rates between Protestants and Catholics is due to a complex interaction over time of a number of factors. These factors include characteristics such as age, marital status, number of children, family experience of unemployment, housing tenure and educational qualifications; regional factors such as area of residence, sectoral performance and demographic factors such as labour force growth and migration and the unwillingness of some job seekers to consider employment in particular geographic areas (referred to as the chill factor). Discrimination has also been considered as a possible contributory factor but it is unclear the extent to which this has, or continues to be, an influence.