Unemployment

Duchy of Lancaster written question – answered at on 20 April 2009.

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Photo of David Blunkett David Blunkett Labour, Sheffield, Brightside

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were (a) claiming jobseeker's allowance and (b) unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation definitions in each quarter since 1979.

Photo of Kevin Brennan Kevin Brennan Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Third Sector)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were (a) claiming jobseeker's allowance and (b) unemployed according to the International Labour Organisation survey in each quarter since 1979. (268743)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LPS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.

Table 1 shows the number of people who were unemployed in each quarter since 1979. It also shows the number of persons who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and its predecessors adjusted on a consistent basis.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty, shown in a footnote to the table.

Table 1: Number of persons unemployed or claiming jobseeker's allowance
Unemployed
Thousand (seasonally adjusted)
January to March 1979 1,420
April to June 1979 1,405
July to September 1979 1,430
October to December 1979 1,471
January to March 1980 1,558
April to June 1980 1,700
July to September 1980 1,905
October to December 1980 2,169
January to March 1981 2,403
April to June 1981 2,588
July to September 1981 2,684
October to December 1981 2,761
January to March 1982 2,803
April to June 1982 2,841
July to September 1982 2,897
October to December 1982 2,960
January to March 1983 2,998
April to June 1983 3,049
July to September 1983 3,109
October to December 1983 3,167
January to March 1984 3,243
April to June 1984 3,265
July to September 1984 3,238
October to December 1984 3,217
January to March 1985 3,180
April to June 1985 3,152
July to September 1985 3,137
October to December 1985 3,135
January to March 1986 3,150
April to June 1986 3,159
July to September 1986 3,177
October to December 1986 3,156
January to March 1987 3,113
April to June 1987 3,021
July to September 1987 2,885
October to December 1987 2,741
January to March 1988 2,613
April to June 1988 2,490
July to September 1988 2,385
October to December 1988 2,293
January to March 1989 2,179
April to June 1989 2,083
July to September 1989 2,045
October to December 1989 2,021
January to March 1990 2,004
April to June 1990 2,002
July to September 1990 2,049
October to December 1990 2,158
January to March 1991 2,306
April to June 1991 2,492
July to September 1991 2,624
October to December 1991 2,697
January to March 1992 2,762
April to June 1992 2,778
July to September 1992 2,815
October to December 1992 2,929
January to March 1993 3,001
April to June 1993 2,932
July to September 1993 2,890
October to December 1993 2,890
January to March 1994 2,804
April to June 1994 2,736
July to September 1994 2,638
October to December 1994 2,520
January to March 1995 2,496
April to June 1995 2,444
July to September 1995 2,446
October to December 1995 2.353
January to March 1996 2.330
April to June 1996 2,339
July to September 1996 2,284
October to December 1996 2,230
January to March 1997 2,085
April to June 1997 2,050
July to September 1997 1,951
October to December 1997 1,865
January to March 1998 1,813
April to June 1998 1,791
July to September 1998 1,787
October to December 1998 1,765
January to March 1999 1,779
April to June 1999 1,743
July to September 1999 1,704
October to December 1999 1,684
January to March 2000 1,681
April to June 2000 1,600
July to September 2000 1,550
October to December 2000 1,519
January to March 2001 1,480
April to June 2001 1,470
July to September 2001 1,489
October to December 2001 1,519
January to March 2002 1,513
April to June 2002 1,521
July to September 2002 1,566
October to December 2002 1,514
January to March 2003 1,528
April to June 2003 1,468
July to September 2003 1,504
October to December 2003 1,457
January to March 2004 1,431
April to June 2004 1,439
July to September 2004 1,404
October to December 2004 1,423
January to March 2005 1,413
April to June 2005 1,438
July to September 2005 1,442
October to December 2005 1,566
January to March 2006 1,601
April to June 2006 1,687
July to September 2006 1,690
October to December 2006 1,698
January to March 2007 1,704
April to June 2007 1,662
July to September 2007 1,643
October to December 2007 1,602
January to March 2008 1,624
April to June 2008 1,685
July to September 2008 1,825
October to December 2008(1) *1,971
Jobseeker' s A llowance
Thousand (seasonally adjusted)
March 1979 1,107
June 1979 1,058
September 1979 1,034
December 1979 1,044
March 1980 1,125
June 1980 1,262
September 1980 1,492
December 1980 1,777
March 1981 1,984
June 1981 2,157
September 1981 2,283
December 1981 2,373
March 1982 2,426
June 1982 2,499
September 1982 2,583
December 1982 2,674
March 1983 2,723
June 1983 2,780
September 1983 2,788
December 1983 2,814
March 1984 2,858
June 1984 2,869
September 1984 2,925
December 1984 2.958
March 1985 2,977
June 1985 2,989
September 1985 3,005
December 1985 3,033
March 1986 3,086
June 1986 3,086
September 1986 3,072
December 1986 3,021
March 1987 2,925
June 1987 2,808
September 1987 2,678
December 1987 2,536
March 1988 2,406
June 1988 2,272
September 1988 2,156
December 1988 2,006
March 1989 1,877
June 1989 1,762
September 1989 1,685
December 1989 1,630
March 1990 1,584
June 1990 1,584
September 1990 1,681
December 1990 1,847
March 1991 2,080
June 1991 2,275
September 1991 2,435
December 1991 2,536
March 1992 2,636
June 1992 2,711
September 1992 2,808
December 1992 2,960
March 1993 2,923
June 1993 2,902
September 1993 2,856
December 1993 2,765
March 1994 2,712
June 1994 2,625
September 1994 2,525
December 1994 2,407
March 1995 2,342
June 1995 2,294
September 1995 2,234
December 1995 2,222
March 1996 2,179
June 1996 2,135
September 1996 2,044
December 1996 1,872
March 1997 1,704
June 1997 1,572
September 1997 1,498
December 1997 1,411
March 1998 1,365
June 1998 1,344
September 1998 1,327
December 1998 1,314
March 1999 1,298
June 1999 1,263
September 1999 1,223
December 1999 1,159
March 2000 1,144
June 2000 1,094
September 2000 1,045
December 2000 1,030
March 2001 991
June 2001 962
September 2001 946
December 2001 967
March 2002 948
June 2002 950
September 2002 944
December 2002 935
March 2003 941
June 2003 947
September 2003 929
December 2003 906
March 2004 881
June 2004 847
September 2004 833
December 2004 826
March 2005 830
June 2005 863
September 2005 876
December 2005 908
March 2006 936
June 2006 957
September 2006 958
December 2006 938
March 2007 905
June 2007 863
September 2007 835
December 2007 808
March 2008 799
June 2008 845
September 2008 944
December 2008 1,159
(1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows.

Guide to Quality:

The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.

KEY Coefficient of Variation (CV) (percentage) Statistical Robustness

* 0 = CV [le]5 Estimates are considered precise.

** 5 = CV [le] 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise.

*** 10 = CV [le] 20 Estimates are considered acceptable.

**** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.

Source:

Labour Force Survey/Jobcentre Plus administrative system

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