Employment

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were (i) International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployed, (ii) economically inactive and wanting work and (iii) economically inactive and not wanting work in each year since 1997; and how many were (A) aged 50 to 54, (B) aged 55 to 59, (C) aged 60 to 64 and (D) aged over 65 years. (114626)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 January 2007:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the numbers of men and women who are unemployed and economically inactive (i) wanting a job and (ii) not wanting a job by age in each year since 1997. (114626)

The eight tables attached give estimates of the numbers of men and women resident in the United Kingdom who are unemployed and economically inactive by gender and age. This includes inactive people who (i) want a job and (ii) do not want a job for the three months ending June each year since 1997. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000.

Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

*Table 1: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 1997*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	2,013	17,009	2,560	14,449
50-54	147	781	206	574
55-59	121	1,080	227	853
60-64	62	1,688	208	1,481
65+	12	8,344	80	8,264
Men
Total 16+	1,248	6,199	1,017	5,181
50-54	93	264	95	168
55-59	84	373	110	263
60-64	55	650	135	515
65+	9	3,397	80	3,317
Women
Total 16+	765	10,811	1,543	9,268
50-54	54	517	111	406
55-59	37	707	117	590
60-64	7	1,038	73	965
65+	3	4,947	¹—	4,947
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 2: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 1999*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,695	17,108	2,458	14,650
50-54	124	822	229	592
55-59	98	1,075	225	850
60-64	53	1,779	204	1,574
65+	10	8,364	64	8,300
Men
Total 16+	1,034	6,315	1,006	5,309
50-54	79	275	102	173
55-59	66	386	119	267
60-64	44	687	140	547
65+	9	3,434	64	3,370
Women
Total 16+	661	10,793	1,453	9,340
50-54	45	546	127	419
55-59	32	689	105	583
60-64	9	1,092	64	1,028
65+	1	4,930	¹—	4,929
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 3: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2001*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,408	17,337	2,341	14,996
50-54	93	808	218	590
55-59	73	1,115	215	901
60-64	40	1,749	180	1,569
65+	9	8,482	58	8,423
Men
Total 16+	849	6,548	982	5,566
50-54	61	268	101	167
55-59	52	410	114	296
60-64	35	686	118	568
65+	7	3,528	58	3,470
Women
Total 16+	559	10,789	1,359	9,430
50-54	32	540	116	423
55-59	21	705	101	604
60-64	5	1,063	62	1,002
65+	2	4,954	¹—	4,954
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 4: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2002*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,456	17,365	2,402	14,963
50-54	104	762	202	560
55-59	83	1,148	248	900
60-64	42	1,741	180	1,561
65+	13	8,491	72	8,419
Men
Total 16+	877	6,617	1,020	5,597
50-54	62	266	92	174
55-59	56	420	132	287
60-64	33	687	118	569
65+	10	3,555	71	3,484
Women
Total 16+	578	10,748	1,382	9,366
50-54	42	495	109	386
55-59	26	728	116	612
60-64	9	1,054	62	992
65+	3	4,936	¹—	4,935
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 5: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2003*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,401	17,400	2,288	15,112
50-54	98	699	190	509
55-59	90	1,119	227	892
60-64	28	1,707	179	1,529
65+	12	8,506	60	8,446
Men
Total 16+	850	6,580	981	5,599
50-54	58	239	89	150
55-59	66	404	111	293
60-64	23	632	106	526
65+	9	3,566	59	3,507
Women
Total 16+	551	10,821	1,307	9,513
50-54	40	460	100	359
55-59	24	715	115	599
60-64	5	1,075	73	1,002
65+	3	4,940	¹—	4,939
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 6: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2004*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,368	17,519	2,137	15,381
50-54	81	700	170	529
55-59	82	1,161	204	957
60-64	36	1,712	152	1,560
65+	10	8,534	57	8,477
Men
Total 16+	803	6,737	917	5,820
50-54	51	245	84	161
55-59	58	421	98	323
60-64	30	650	101	549
65+	8	3,605	57	3,549
Women
Total 16+	565	10,782	1,220	9,562
50-54	30	454	86	368
55-59	24	741	107	634
60-64	6	1,062	51	1,011
65+	2	4,928	¹—	4,928
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 7: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2005*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,364	17,600	2,195	15,405
50-54	87	666	171	495
55-59	76	1,145	196	949
60-64	31	1,764	140	1,624
65+	10	8,560	60	8,499
Men
Total 16+	792	6,826	903	5,923
50-54	50	224	72	151
55-59	51	427	93	334
60-64	25	673	88	585
65+	7	3,639	60	3,579
Women
Total 16+	573	10,774	1,292	9,482
50-54	37	442	99	343
55-59	25	718	103	615
60-64	5	1,091	53	1,039
65+	3	4,920	¹—	4,920
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

*Table 8: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2006*
Thousand
	Unemployed	Inactive
	Total	Total	Wants job	Does not want job
All persons
Total 16+	1,604	17,466	2,206	15,261
50-54	96	640	168	472
55-59	84	1,122	202	920
60-64	38	1,786	184	1,602
65+	14	8,548	62	8,486
Men
Total 16+	924	6,787	954	5,833
50-54	57	213	70	143
55-59	53	416	99	317
60-64	26	689	115	574
65+	11	3,635	62	3,573
Women
Total 16+	680	10,679	1,251	9,428
50-54	39	427	98	329
55-59	31	706	103	603
60-64	12	1,096	68	1,028
65+	3	4,913	¹—	4,912
¹ Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates. Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Volume 455: debated on Tuesday 16 January 2007