Patterns of unemployment in Belfast

Abstract

Using a sample of unemployed persons, and data from the 1971 census of population, maps are drawn of male, female and juvenile unemployment in the Belfast Urban Area. Using the technique of regression on principal components, the links between these distributions and the underlying social geography of the city are demonstrated, in particular the distribution of social structure, age structure and ethnic structure. The implications of the regression models are discussed under four headings: (1) male and juvenile unemployment arc essentially similar problems; (2) female unemployment is distinct from male and juvenile unemployment; (3) social structure is an important influence on the distribution of unemployment; (4) ethnic structure is an important influence on the distribution of unemployment.