§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 31st July, if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the average hourly industrial wage level in each of the member States of the European Economic Community in April 1977 expressed in £ sterling and European units of account.
§ Mr. GoldingThe information is given in the table below.
It is essential to bear in mind that owing to differences in national definitions and methods of compilation the figures given are not fully comparable. Moreover, international comparisons of earnings statistics are not meaningful unless account is taken of (i) differences in taxation and social benefits, and (ii) differences in internal purchasing power which are not reflected by market exchange rates.
The figures have been converted from national currencies at the average exchange rates for the months in question.
AVERAGE GROSS HOURLY EARNINGS OF MALE AND FEMALE WORKERS IN MINING, QUARRYING, CONSTRUCTION AND THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN APRIL 1977 Pounds Sterling European Units of Account United Kingdom 1.48 2.26 West Germany 2.72 4.16 France 1.74 2.66 Netherlands 2.73 4.18 Belgium 2.78 4.25 Luxembourg 3.16 4.82 Denmark 3.52 5.37 Ireland* 1.37 2.10 Italy Sources:
Eurostat: Hourly Earnings/Hours of Work. Monthly General Statistics Bulletin.
Irish Statistical Bulletin.
Notes:
ֵNot available.
* Manufacturing only, March 1977.