To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged (a) 16 to 18 and (b) 18 to 24 years were unemployed on (i) 1 May 1997 and (ii) the most recent date for which figures are available. (181650)

I have been asked to reply.

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, 21 January 2008:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply your parliamentary question on how many people aged (a) 16 to 18 and (b) 18 to 24 years were unemployed (i) on 1 May 1997 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available, (181650) The information in the following table is from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and is the closest match to your request using published statistics. The data are seasonally adjusted and weighted to the most recently published UK population estimates.

Seasonally adjusted estimates of International Labour Organisation unemployment levels and rates by age are published each month in the labour market statistics first release. Please visit the following link:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/LMS_FR_HS/WebTable09_age.xls

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.