To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average unemployment rate among the working age population in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby was in each of the last five years. [R] (282522)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated June 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average unemployment rate among working age population in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby was in each of the last five years. (282522)

The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS).

Table 1 shows the unemployment rate for people resident in Merseyside and Crosby parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years. The latest period for which data are available is October 2007 to September 2008. Unemployment rates are normally provided for people aged 16 and over, rather than people of working age, thus estimates provided are consistent with this definition.

As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they, are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment and unemployment are available from the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk