HC Deb 25 May 1993 vol 225 c524W
Mr. Peter Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the manufacturing unit wage costs in the three months to February; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. McLoughlin

The manufacturing unit wage and salary costs for the three months to February 1993 are:

Unit costs
December 1992 130.3
January 1993 129.3
February 1993 128.8

These are index figures which relate to the base year of 1985. More up-to-date figures were published on 20 May. Comparing the three months ending March this year with the three months ending March 1992, manufacturing unit wage costs showed the largest percentage fall since records began in 1970.