Midlothian Council : Male Unemployment

R_CENSUS_MALE_UNEM = (CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem * 100.0) / CENSUS_ACTIVE_GEN:male/act

Data Role Period Covered Authority Source Details Method
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1931 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1931 Census of Scotland, Occupations, Table 2 , 'Occupations of Males and of Females in Cities, Counties, and Large Burghs, showing also the Total "Operatives" and the Total "Out of Work"' Redistricted by GBH project
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1951 SRC GBH Source Documentation System 1951 Census of Scotland, Occupations, Table 17 , 'Occupied Population classified according to 11 terminal educational ages, (a) Scotland by 9 age sections and (b) Administrative, etc. Areas by All Ages', for '' Redistricted by GBH project
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1961 SRC GBH Source Documentation System [ERROR: authority is ''SRC'' but auth_note value of S1961OCC2_M1 does not appear in SRC_TAB] Redistricted by GBH project
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1971 CASWEB_1971 Census 1971 data UK Data Service, Census 1971 data (Table SAS05: "Economically Active (EA) residents: All residents aged 15 or over") Enumeration District counts redistricted by vector overlay
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1981 CASWEB_1981 Census 1981 data UK Data Service, Census 1981 data (SAS09: "Employment Status: All Economically Active (EA) residents: Residents aged 16 and over") Enumeration District counts redistricted by vector overlay
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 1991 NOMIS NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Table S08 Economic position: Residents aged 16 and over [100%]) Enumeration District counts redistricted by vector overlay
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 2001 ScotCen Scotland's Census National Records of Scotland, Scotland's Census (Tables KS09b and KS09c - "Economic activity") Sum of published counts for Output Areas or E.Ds.
CENSUS_EMPL:male/unem 2011 NOMIS NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics Office for National Statistics, NOMIS - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics (Tables KS602UK and KS603UK - Economic activity) Sum of published counts for Output Areas or E.Ds.

More details


In twentieth century Britain, unemployment was the primary measure of economic distress. It has been measured in various ways: by the number receiving unemployment benefit, by sample surveys and by the census.

The 1931 census came in the depths of the inter-war Great Depression, and several districts had unemployment rates over 25%. The census was carried out in the spring, and rates in the depths of winter would have been significantly higher. After WWII new economic policies reduced the impact of the trade cycle, and the 1951 census generally revealed almost full employment: the most conspicuous feature is the high rates around the coast, due to seasonal unemployment in seaside resorts. Unemployment again rose over the 1970s and 1980s: in some areas, 1991 unemployment was higher than in the inter-war slump.


How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Midlothian Council through time | Historical Statistics on Work & Poverty | Rate: Male Unemployment, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10039721/cube/CENSUS_MALE_UNEM

Date accessed: 05th June 2026