These statistics taken from a recent DfEE Press Release:-

New Deal for Young People:

* 55,170 young people into sustained jobs to the end of January 1999. Of which 43,760 unsubsidised and 11,420 subsidised;

* over 233,000 starts on New Deal by the end of January 1999 - 101,000 have left, leaving 132,200 participants at the end of January 1999;

* of the 101,000 leavers, 43% have entered sustained unsubsidised jobs, 13% have transferred to other benefits, 10% have left for other known reasons, and 34% for unknown reasons;

* Of those who had their first New Deal interview in January 1998, 64% had left New Deal - a half of those to go into unsubsidised jobs - 20% were still on a New Deal option, 3% were still on the Gateway, and 13% had entered Follow-Through at the end of January 1999;

* of all Options starts in January 1999, 3,860 (47%) were on Full-time Education and Training, 1,060 (13%) on the Employer option, 1,600 (20%) on Voluntary sector option, and around 1,650 (20%) on the Environment Task Force;

* 42% of those who have left New Deal from options up to the end of January 1999 went into sustained unsubsidised jobs. Of those leaving from the Employer option, 61% entered sustained unsubsidised jobs, compared with 34% of leavers from Full-Time Education and Training.

New Deal for Long-Term Unemployed People aged 25+:

* 94,900 starts on New Deal by the end of January 1999 - 20,900 have left, leaving 74,000 participating at the end of January 1999;

* 15% of entrants have been aged between 25-29. In contrast, 28% have been older clients aged 50 and over;

* 4,600 people have started unsubsidised jobs (and 2,200 subsidised jobs). Together these represent 25% of all leavers from the Advisory Process;

* 21% of all leavers from the Advisory Process return to their regular pattern of jobseeker activity i.e. they remain on JSA without taking up a New Deal opportunity;