asked the Taoiseach if he has any observations to make on the fact that the unemployment rate in Ireland is 6.4 per cent whereas in Belgium it is 3.7 per cent, in Germany 0.8 per cent, Italy 3.4 per cent, Netherlands 1.3 per cent, Norway 1.3 per cent and the United Kingdom 2.4 per cent.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Rate.
2.
The figures quoted by the Deputy are taken from the Bulletin of Labour Statistics published by the International Labour Office. The coverage and basis of collection of the data given therein vary from country to country so that direct comparisons between the figures for the different countries are hazardous. It is considered that the reliability of international comparisons is improved somewhat by defining for each country the percentage unemployed in relation to the total labour force as is done in the OECD publication Labour Force Statistics 1957-1968. The figures for 1968, the latest year available, given in that publication are:
Ireland, 5.4 per cent; Belgium, 2.9 per cent; Germany, 1.2 per cent; Italy, 3.5 per cent; Netherlands, 1.8 per cent; Norway, 1.0 per cent; United Kingdom, 2.1 per cent. The corresponding figure for Ireland for 1969 is 5.1 per cent.
Even with this adjustment the figures are only broadly comparable, since the systems under which unemployment statistics are compiled and the definitions involved show wide variations from country to country.