§ 91. Sir W. Robson Brownasked the Minister of Labour what has been the overall percentage increase in wages and salaries, and changes in hours of working, in the principal industrial countries of the world covering the period 1946 to 1956, on the basis of the information made available to him by the statistical organs of the United Nations Organisation and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI regret that comprehensive figures are not available for 1946 or 1947, nor are figures for salaried40W workers available for most countries. The percentage change in the average earnings of wage earners—excluding social benefits —and in average hours worked in manufacturing industry are given in the following table:
PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN THE AVERAGE EARNINGS OF WAGE EARNERS (EXCLUDING SOCIAL BENEFITS)AND IN AVERAGE HOURS WORKED IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY Percentage change 1948 to 1956 Average weekly wage earnings Average hours worked per week by wage-earners Canada + 62 - 3 United States + 48 (1) + 1 India + 25 (2) (3) Not available Japan (4) +320 + 2 Belgium + 32 (5) (6) Not available France + 130 (7) + 2 W. Germany + 110 + 13 Italy + 50 (6) (8) + 2 Netherlands + 50 (9) + ½(9) United Kingdom + 70 + 2½ (1)Production and related workers. (2)1948–54. (3)Wages per month. (4)Includes salaried workers. (5)Men only. Per day. (6)Approximate. (7)Standard hourly rates. (8)Per hour. (9)1948–55. Source: Year Book of Labour Statistics 1956 and International Labour Review, June, 1957.