HC Deb 01 August 1978 vol 955 cc209-11W
32. Mr. Peter Bottomley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the average years at work, length of the working week, earnings and the

Country Length of working week (hours) 1976 (1) Average gross hourly earnings 1976 (1) Percentage of total population in civilian employment 1976
United Kingdom … 42(a) £ 1.42(8) 44
West Germany … 42(c) DM 10.6(8) 40
France … 42(c) Fr 13.9(8) 39
Italy … 42(c) Lira 1,700(6)(a) 34
Netherlands … 41(c) G 11.1(8) 33
Belgium … 39(c) BFr 163(8) 38
Luxembourg … 40(c) LFr 184(8) 42
Ireland … 42(c)(2) £ 1.27(3)(5) 32
Denmark … 34(a)(2) Kr 34.6(8) 46
United States … 40(b)(3) $ 5.19 41
Canada … 39(b)(3) $ 5.76(3) 42
Japan … 40(a)(3)(4) Yen 184,000(3)(4)(7) 47(12)
Austria … 34 (a)(2) ֵ 39(12)
Finland … 38(a)(2) Mk 13.4(2)(6) 45
Spain … ֵ Ptas 136(3)(4) 35
Sweden … ֵ Kr 27(3)(5)(10) 50(12)
Switzerland … 44(b)(3) F 10.5 (3) 44(11)
Greece … 42(b)(3) Dr 44.7(3) ֵ
New Zealand … 39 (b)(3) $ 2.91(3)(4) 39(11)
Sources:
Eurostat: Hourly Earnings—Hours of Work.
International Labour Office: Yearbook of Labour Statistics.
OECD: Labour Force Statistics.
Notes:
ֵ Not available.
(a) Hours worked.
(b) Hours paid for.
(c) Hours offered.
(1) Manual workers (male and female) in mining and quarrying, construction and manufacturing industries.
(2) Excluding construction.
(3) Manufacturing only.
(4) Including salaried employees.
(5) Including juveniles.
(6) Including values of payments in kind.
(7) Including family allowances and end of year bonuses.
(8) October.
(9) April.
(10) 2nd quarter.
(11) 1975.
(12) Including armed forces.

35. Mr. David Price

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has given to the TUC in respect of their demand for the early establishment of a 35-hour working week; and

proportion of the population in work for the United Kingdom, and from international sources available to him, for other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Mr. Golding

The figures given are not fully comparable, owing to differences in definitions, coverage and methods of compilation, the most important of which are indicated in the footnotes. In addition, international comparisons of the earnings statistics are not meaningful unless account is taken of, first, differences in taxation and social benefits, and, secondly, differences in internal purchasing power which are not reflected by market exchange rates.

how many new jobs would be created if it were implemented immediately.

Mr. Golding

The Government have set out their views on reduction of the working week in the White Paper "Winning the Battle Against Inflation". As for the effect on employment, I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove and Redditch (Mr. Miller).