HC Deb 28 January 1982 vol 16 cc417-8W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were employed in general Government, excluding the Armed Forces, in 1970 and 1978, and for the most recent year for which figures are available on a comparative basis in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States of America and France; and if he will show each of these figures as a percentage of total employment, excluding the unemployed.

1978 Mr. Hayhoe

I have been asked to reply.

The information requested, in so far as it is readily available, is as follows. However, because of institutional and other differences between countries these overall comparisons of total general Government employment are of limited significance. Estimates are for 1978 unless otherwise stated—where estimates are available for 1970, they have been placed in brackets.

United Kingdom exports of live sheep, September to November 1981
September October November
Country of Destination Breeding Not for Breeding Breeding Not for Breeding Breeding Not for Breeding
Belgium-Luxembourg 47 1, 892 160 4, 231 6 3, 838
Irish Republic 41 3, 152 542 7, 996 374 5, 449
France 2, 413 7, 935 19, 348
Federal Republic of Germany 1, 394 1, 978 862
Netherlands 292 1, 346
Czechoslovakia 96
Hungary 149
Dubai 4
Total 88 8, 851 702 22, 432 629 30, 843

Persons employed in general Government excluding Armed Forces: (thousand, headcount) Person employed in general Government excluding Armed Forces: percentage of employed labour force
United Kingdom **4, 986 (4, 092) 20.0 (16.5)
West Germany* 3, 575 14.0
France 2, 478 11.4
United States of America† ‡15, 406 (13, 028) 16.6 (16.1)

Notes:

*Estimates relate to 1979

† Estimates relate to 1977

‡ The total of state, local and civilian federal employment

**General Government as defined in the article on employment in December 1981. Economic Trends

Sources:

Economic Trends: November 1979, December 1980, December 1981

US Department of Labour: Handbook of Labour Statistics

OECD: Labour Force Statistics 1963–1979

Some problems of international comparisons of Government employment figures are covered in an article in the December 1980 issue of Economic Trends.