To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the change in (a) male and (b) female unemployment in Yeovil constituency has been in each of the last five years. (82252)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 July 2006:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, sample sizes are insufficient to provide estimates of change in male and female unemployment in the Yeovil Parliamentary Constituency.

ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). Table 1, attached, shows the annual changes in levels and proportions of working-age resident population for male claimants of JSA, resident in the Yeovil constituency, for May of each year from 2001 to 2006. Table 2 shows corresponding data for female claimants of JSA.