Background to the Research

• This summary presents the results of a postal questionnaire sent out to long-term unemployed people in west Belfast in December 1995. The survey is not representative of all long-term unemployed people in Northern Ireland but deals with a particular area which is predominantly Catholic and which has a political notoriety and a specific economic marginality. In total, 314 questionnaires were analysed, identifying the basic characteristics of the sample including household size, economic status and duration of unemployment. The health and educational profile of the respondents was also examined for differences by gender and religion.

Main Findings

Households and Children

• Fifty six per cent of the sample were living in households with children. Of these, 84 per cent were in households with three or fewer children.
• Just over a third (36%) of respondents were single, 35% were married or living with a partner, 22% were separated, 5% divorced and 2% widowed.

Economic Status

• Nearly three-quarters (72%) of all respondents described themselves as seeking work, 14% were not seeking work and 4% were sick or disabled. Four per cent were waiting to start a job, scheme of course.
• Protestant men (10%) were more likely than Catholic men (5%) to describe themselves as 'sick or disabled' and this was not sensitive to age.
• The most significant differences between respondents were in terms of gender. Women were less likely to describe themselves seeking work than men(61% to 81% respectively).

Unemployment Duration

• Just over the half the long-term unemployed had been unemployed for five years or more. Average age did not seem to be a significant factor in unemployment duration. Those aged 35+, however, were more likely to have been unemployed for more than five years compared to those under 35. The average duration for individuals who had been unemployed for five years or more was 13 years.
• Protestant and Catholic women followed the same patters, with 40% of the LTU falling in the five years or more category. Catholic and Protestant men, however, were markedly different. Only 7% of Catholic men LTU had been unemployed for between one and two years, compared to one fifth of Protestant men.
• Sixty two per cent of Catholic LTU men were five or more years unemployed compared to just over a third of Protestant men. The pattern of Catholic men having longer unemployment than Protestants and being less likely to be short-term unemployed is broadly consistent with findings elsewhere.
• `Respondents in households with four or more children were less likely than childless households (and other households with children) to have been unemployed for between two and four years and more likely to have been out of work between four and five years. However, there was almost no difference among those who had been unemployed for more than five years (50%) across all household types.

Education and Unemployment Duration

• An eight of respondents (14% Catholics and 9% Protestants) had 'A'-levels (or the vocational equivalent) and above, including 4% with degrees. Forty per cent of the LTU (41% Catholics and 42% Protestants) had up to 'O'-levels and 46% (41% Catholics and 49% Protestants) had no formal qualifications.
• Men were more likely to have no formal qualifications than women (48% compared to 40%). Educational qualifications were also linked to age. Twenty nine per cent of respondents aged 18-24 had no formal qualifications compared to 55% of those aged 45-54 and 72% of those aged 55+.
• Unemployment duration was found to be associated with educational qualifications. Of those unemployed less than two years 23% did not have any formal qualifications compared to 57% of those unemployed for five years or more.

Mental and Physical Health

• Just over half reported that they did not suffer from any health problems. Eighty seven per cent of respondents described their overall state of health as 'good' Catholic men were the most likely to describe their health as 'not so good' (16% compared to 3% of Protestant men).
• There was little difference in overall health amongst those unemployed less than five years (only five per cent of individuals unemployed for five years or less reported that their health was 'not so good'. In contrast, 22% of individuals who had been unemployed for five years or more reported that their health was 'fair' while only 28% described their health as 'good'.`
• Thirty seven per cent of respondents said their health had become 'worse' since becoming unemployed, 59% reported their health was the same and 4% said their health was better. The most significant effect was amongst those unemployed for five years or more, of whom 48% reported that their health had become worse. The most common form of health difficulty was depression (15%) which was most common amongst Protestant men.

Respondents Who Never Had A Job

• Twenty three per cent of all respondents had never had a job. Fifty five per cent of these were Catholic men, 20% Catholic women, 18% Protestant men and 7% Protestant women. Those who reported never had a job tended to be in the younger age bands; 87% were aged 34 or less, which meant that 46% of this age group had never had a job.
• In terms of qualifications, 49% of the 'never worked' had qualifications up to 'O'-level and 9% had qualifications of 'A'-level or above. Seventy one per cent of the 'never worked' had been on a government scheme and 85% regarded themselves as searching for work.