Mr. G. MAC DONALDasked the Minister of Labour the total wages paid in the year ended 31st December, 1920, and 1994W also in the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways?
§ Mr. LAWSONThe total wages bill in the coalmining industry is estimated by the Mines Department at £265,000,000 for 1920 and £105,000,000 for 1930. Information is not available as to the total wages bill of all railways, but for the four main lines payments for wages and salaries amounted to £114,000,000 in 1929; a corresponding figure for 1920 or 1930, or for wages without salaries, is not available. I regret that I am unable to give figures for the other industries mentioned.
Mr. MACDONALDasked the Minister of Labour (1) the total number of persons employed during the year ended 31st December, 1920, and the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways;
(2) the total number of days worked during the year ended 31st December, 1920, and the year ended 31st December, 1930, in the following industries: coal, cotton, iron and steel, shipbuilding, and on the railways?
§ Mr. LAWSONStatistics of employment in particular industries comparable with those for 1930 are not available for 1920. The earliest complete year in respect of which such figures are available is 1924, and particulars for that year and for 1930 are given in the following table. The total number of persons who obtain employment during the year in any industry is not known. Estimates are made of the numbers of insured persons in each industry at July of each year and similar figures for other dates are not available. The estimates of the numbers in employment given below have been obtained by deducting from the estimated number of insured persons at July of each year, the average number of insured persons recorded as unemployed during the calendar year. No allowance has been made in respect of absences from work through sickness, holidays and other forms of unrecorded non-employment, or of persons directly involved in trade disputes. The estimated numbers of days worked have been obtained by multiplying the estimated 1995W average numbers of persons employed by the number of working days in the year
Industry. 1924 1930. Estimated average number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 years in employment. Estimated number of days worked. Estimated average number of insured persons aged 16 to 64 years in employment. Estimated number of days worked. (Thousands). (Thousands). Coalmining 1,152,000 354,816 850,200 261,011 Cotton 486,500 149,842 355,600 109,169 Pig Iron (Blast Furnaces). 24,100 7,423 16,600 5,096 Steel Melting and Iron Puddling, Iron and Steel Rolling and Forging. 156,500 48,282 119,600 36,717 Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing. 169,400 52,175 137,900 42,335 Railway Service* 157,200 48,418 126,100 38,713 * Non-permanent workpeople only. Permanent workers in railway service are excepted from the scope of Unemployment Insurance.