§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Paymaster General whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in adult male earnings in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors since 1979 and 1973; and if he will give a breakdown by industry for the manufacturing sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 25 February 1987]: Estimates from the new earnings survey for manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries are as follows:
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Percentage change in average gross weekly earnings for full-time adult male employees whose earnings were not affected by absence GB April 1973–86 1979–86 Manufacturing1 +400.7 +104.1 Non-manufacturing2 +404.4 +110.5 1 Divisions 2–4 of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification. 2 Divisions 0, 1 and 5–9 of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification. Because of the change from Standard Industrial Classification 1968 (SIC 1968) to the Revised Standard Industrial Classification 1980 (SIC(R) 1980) adopted for the 1983 New Earnings Survey, figures for individual industries are not available on a comparable basis for the years requested. Part C of the New Earnings Survey Reports for 1973, 1979 and 1986 contain tables giving details of earnings within individual industries according to the prevailing industrial classifications. Additionally, the 1983 Report presents the 1982 results for individual industries on the SIC(R) 1980 basis. Copies of these reports are available in the Library.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Paymaster General whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in adult male earnings of skilled and unskilled workers in engineering since 1957, 1967 and 1977, or the nearest available dates on the nearest comparable basis, compared to adult male earnings generally.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 25 February 1987]: I have used a variety of sources to endeavour to produce a worthwhile reply as no one source is available which covers all the information requested. The resulting discontinuities in data sources over the period in question means that any comparisons can only provide a broad indication of trends. However, estimates from the information available are set out in the table:
Percentage change in gross weekly earnings of full-time adult1 male manual workers 1963–85 1967–85 1977–85 Engineering (GB)2 All skilled employees +819 +632 +133 All labourers +842 +663 +120 All manufacturing3 (UK) +886 +679 +132 1 Men aged 21 and over 1963, 1967 and 1977. Males on adult rates of pay 1985. 2 Figures for 1963, 1967 and 1977 are derived from the survey into earnings by occupation in Engineering and relate to June. Figures for 1985 are based on the New Earnings Survey. 3 Figures relate to October for all years shown. Notes:
1963, 1967 figures cover orders III-XVI of the 1958 Standard Industrial Classification.
1977 figures covers orders III-XIX of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification.
1985 figures covers divisions 2–4 of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification.