[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Northampton County Borough.

Statistics and Social Conditions (<continued) 949 (73 1 per cent.) of the deaths related to elderly persons aged sixty-five years and upwards. The adjusted death-rate for Northampton County Borough (cal¬ culated by multiplying the crude rate by the area comparability factor of 0-92) was 11-8. Table C at the end of this report, giving the causes of death in age- periods, was compiled from information supplied by the Registrar-General. State of Employment. At the commencement of 1960, employment generally was good and this continued for the greater part of the year. In the latter months, however, some workers resident in Northampton but employed at establishments outside the County Borough were affected to some extent by underemployment caused by the recession in the motor car industry. All the workers concerned were, however, employed not less than four days per week and they only represented a small percent¬ age of the insured * population. No firms in the County Borough of Northampton were affected by this underemployment. Apart from this short-time the actual numbers of persons wholly unemployed in December, 1960, were the lowest recorded since July, 1956, at 0-3 per cent of the insured ^population. The demands for labour were high for most of the year but somewhat lower in the latter months although there were still 968 current vacancies at the end of December (men 360, women 260, boys 185 and girls 163). *Women aged 15 to 60 years, and men aged 15 to 65 years. Meteorology. (Table 4, page 19). The total rainfall for 1960 was 33-60 inches, i.e., 12-80 inches more than in 1959 and 8*53 inches above the average (25-07) for the past fifty-six years, 1904 to 1959 inclusive. The wettest month was October and the driest April. The heaviest fall occurred on 23rd June when 0-90 inches were registered. The number of days on which 0-01 inch or more rain fell was 211. The highest shade temperature recorded was 84-5°F. on 19th June. The lowest reading of the thermometer was 23*0°F. on 13th January. There were 48 cold nights, i.e., nights when the temperature fell to 32°F. (freezing point) or below. The prevailing wind was north-west on 108 days, south-west on 106, south-east on 89, and north-east on 63. Other Statistics. The notes on infant and maternal mortality, stillbirths, notifiable and other diseases, housing conditions, and other statistics usually included in the annual report, will be found under the headings referring to these matters. Attention is also directed to the statistics on page 16, to Table A on page 14, and to Tables B and C at the end of this report.