asked the Taoiseach if he will give details of the annual unemployment figures in numbers and percentages over the past 25 years.
Written Answers. - Unemployment Figures
622.
Official estimates of the labour force (i.e. persons at work and persons out of work) are compiled in respect of mid-April of each year. The following table shows the labour force and the number of persons out of work for the period since 1957; the figures are in thousands. The estimated number of persons out of work is also shown expressed as a percentage of the total labour force.
|
April of Year |
Labour Force(000) |
Persons out of Work |
|
|
No. (000) |
As % of Labour Force |
||
|
Period 1957-71, see Note (1) |
|||
|
1957 |
1,162 |
78 |
6.7 |
|
1958 |
1,141 |
73 |
6.4 |
|
1959 |
1,129 |
69 |
6.1 |
|
1960 |
1,118 |
63 |
5.6 |
|
1961 |
1,108 |
56 |
5.1 |
|
1962 |
1,114 |
54 |
4.8 |
|
1963 |
1,122 |
56 |
5.0 |
|
1964 |
1,124 |
53 |
4.7 |
|
1965 |
1,120 |
51 |
4.6 |
|
1966 |
1,118 |
52 |
4.7 |
|
1967 |
1,116 |
56 |
5.0 |
|
1968 |
1,123 |
60 |
5.3 |
|
1969 |
1,122 |
56 |
5.0 |
|
1970 |
1,118 |
65 |
5.8 |
|
1971 |
1,120 |
65 |
5.8 |
|
Period 1972-82.See Notes (2),(3) |
|||
|
1972 |
Not available |
Not available |
Not available |
|
1973 |
|||
|
1974 |
|||
|
1975 |
1,146 |
73 |
6.4 |
|
1976 |
1,154 |
90 |
7.8 |
|
1977 |
1,172 |
89 |
7.6 |
|
1978 |
1,195 |
85 |
7.1 |
|
1979 |
1,219 |
74 |
6.1 |
|
1980 |
1,239 |
76 |
6.1 |
|
1981 |
1,264 |
113 |
8.9 |
|
1982 |
1,283 |
137 |
10.7 |
Note:
(1) Figures for 1961, 1966 and 1971 are based on the census of population taken in those years. For other years prior to 1971 trend indicators were used to interpolate for non-census years.
(2) A new series, commencing with 1975, was introduced in 1980. This series is not directly comparable with the earlier one and it has not as yet proved possible to link the two series through the 1972-74 period. The new series derived basically from the 1975, 1977 and 1979 labour force surveys and trend indicators were used to interpolate the 1976 and 1978 figures. The results of an analysis of a 5 per cent sample of 1981 census of population returns were adjusted to allow as far as possible for differences between census and labour force survey methodology and used in conjunction with available indicators to prepare comparable 1981 estimates. Trend indicators were then used to interpolate the 1980 figures and provide estimates for 1982.
(3) The 1980-82 estimates are provisional pending the final results of the 1981 census of population and the results of the 1983 labour force survey which is presently being undertaken.
(4) Persons not yet at work having left full time education are excluded from the table.