Surprising drop in U.K. jobless

Press, 23 August 1979, Page 6

Surprising drop in U.K. jobless

NZPA London Unemployment in Britain fell this month — the first August fall since the Second World War.

The 1,455,498 total is also the lowest August figure since 1975 and is 152,800 fewer than this time last year. It fell by 8484 compared with July and represents 6 per cent of all employees, the same as July. The latest provisional fig ures released by the Department of Employment shows that there were 1,272,027 hard-core unemployed excluding school-leavers — an increase of 23,471 — but the number of school-leavers looking for jobs fell by 31.955 to 183,471. This fail was 10,000 more than at this time last year,

and the 183,471 was also the lowest August figure since the present school-leaving regulations were introduced in 1975.

After seasonal adjustment, used to indicate the trend of unemployment, the department calculates that the number of unemployed, excluding school-leavers, this month fell by 14,000 to 1,264,700, the lowest figure since April, 1976, when it stood at 1,258,300. The number of vacancies notified to employment offices was 247,556, the highest August figure since 1974, although down by 12,746 compared with this July. u u This may have been accounted for partly by the poor tourist season with hotels taking on fewer staff.