HC Deb 23 January 1980 vol 977 cc246-7W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been in employment in each year since 1945.

Mr. Jim Lester

Consistent estimates of the numbers of employees in employment are available only from 1948. Following is the information for Great Britain for each mid-year from 1948.

Thousands
1948 19,994
1949 20,064
1950 20,318
1951 20,526
1952 20,489
1953 20,609
1954 20,961
1955 21,258
1956 21,517
1957 21,610
1958 21,450
1959(a) 21,565
1959(b) 20,983
1960 21,450
1961 21,789
1962 22,006
1963 22,060
1964 22,362
1965 22,619
1966 22,787
1967 22,347
1968 22,186
1969 22,148
1970 21,993
1971 21,648
1972 21,650
1973 22,182
1974 22,297
1975 22,213
1976 22,048
1977 22,172
1978 22,221
1979 22,367
Notes:
1. Figures from 1948 to 1959(a) are based on the mid-year counts of national insurance cards and are not strictly comparable with those for 1959(b) which put the figures for 1959(b) to 1970 on the same basis as those thereafter which are derived from the census of employment.
2. Figures from 1977 to 1979 are from the quarterly employment series and are provisional.