§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the levels of long-term(a) adult and (b) youth unemployment in Crosby over the last seven years.[160529]
§ Mr. BrowneIn the UK, claimant long term unemployment has been virtually eradicated for young people and has fallen by three-quarters for adults. In my hon. Friend's constituency, Crosby, long term unemployment for adults has fallen by 70 per cent. and for young people by 95 per cent. since 1997.
These successes exemplify the successful combination of economic stability and radical labour market reforms we have provided which, despite a period of global economic insecurity, have resulted in the UK having the best employment rate and ILO unemployment rate of the major industrialised (G7) countries.