[Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough.

  • Oldham (England). County Borough Council. nb2004302054.
Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA Oldham is situated in the County of Lancaster on the south¬ western slopes of the Pennines. Its highest point is 1,225 ft., and its lowest 350 ft. above sea level. * Textile spinning and textile engineering have declined as principal industries in the borough, but there are still substantial general engineering and building and civil engineering, vehicle building, distributive trades and clothing industry. Over a number of years numerous light industries have been established and unemployment in the area is still appreciably below the general level in the North West. Area and Population The area of the borough is 6,392 acres. The sixteenth census of the population of England and Wales was taken on the 23rd April, 1961, and in the final report of the Registrar General the population of the County Borough of Oldham on that date is stated to have been 115,346 (55,062 males, 60,284 females). The Registrar General’s estimated mid-year population is 108,280 and it is on this figure that the vital statistics are based. This estimate of the population compares with 109,100, for the previous year. Rateable Value The Borough Treasurer, Mr. T. M. Groom, has kindly supplied the following information: The penny rate product for the year ended 31st March, 1969, was £13,229 and the rateable value on the 1st April, 1969, £3,426,842. Unemployment I am indebted to Mr. N. A. Cranny, Manager of the Local Employ¬ ment Exchange for the following report and relevant statistics relating to employment during this year:— “ January 1969, saw a rise in the number of persons out of work when 1.7 per cent of the total working population of 82,000 were registered as unemployed. This figure was lower than that for the North West Region as a whole and the National Average which both stood at 2.6 per cent. During the early part of the year the numbers unemployed declined, but rose again in August to the January figure. By the end of the year however the percentage had settled at 1.5 It was not until November that any short-time working was % experienced in the area and this involved only small numbers of workers. During the Christmas holiday period, however, four local employers closed down for a full week. The demand for labour continued over the year and was particularly high in respect of female operatives.”