Ministry of Labour and successors: Statistical Returns: EDS Series

LAB 85

1920-1971

This series contains two of the main series of records from which official unemployment statistics were derived (EDS 2 and EDS 10). Both series also contain figures on temporary stoppages and short-time working, casuals and non-claimants. These comprise returns, received by the Ministry of Labour from its local offices, of numbers of workers registered as unemployed and of figures for temporary stoppages, short time working, casuals, non-claimants and, in some cases, vacancies.

Both the EDS 2 and EDS 10 series contain summary volumes, arranged by regional division and providing an analytical breakdown of unemployment based on local offices within each region. As both series were compiled for administrative purposes, the statistical analyses show the division of the unemployed into different categories of claimant and these largely reflect varying rights to unemployment benefit. As administrative priorities and procedures changed, so the analytical format changed, although not all regions altered their methods of statistical compilation at the same time. The EDS 10 series also contains regional summaries, which provide a monthly industrial analysis of unemployment. The EDS 2 series alone contains some information on vacancies.

A small amount of associated material can also be found in: PIN 7 LAB 5

EDS file series

Public Record(s)

English

287 papers

Subject to 10 year closure

Topics

Labour

Series is not accruing.

Unemployment insurance was first introduced in 1912, under Part II of the National Insurance Act 1911. Initially it covered only a restricted number of trades - principally shipbuilding, construction, engineering and metal working. The scheme was extended in 1916, and again in 1920, to include munitions workers, manual workers and white collar workers earning less than £250 per year. Workers registered as unemployed at official employment exchanges. These exchanges were also responsible for assessing claims for unemployment benefit. Statistics relating to employment and unemployment were compiled from returns made by individual employment exchanges through regional offices, and published regularly in the Ministry of Labour Gazette.