HC Deb 12 April 1967 vol 744 cc210-1W
Mr. Biffen

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage change in wholly unemployed, the index of weekly wage rates, the index of weekly earnings, less overtime, the index of salary rates, the index of salary earnings, the seasonally adjusted index of industrial production and the index of wholesale prices between September 1957 and April 1958, July 1961 and February 1962, and July 1966 and February 1967, respectively.

Mr. Fernyhough

Following is the information in so far as it is available:

Period All full-time manual workers Average weekly earnings excluding the effect of overtime Percentage change
October, 1957 to April, 1958 + 1.2
April, 1961 to October, 1961 +2.1
April, 1966 to October, 1966 +1.3

Index of salary earnings. Inquiries into the earnings of administrative, technical and clerical employees in the United Kingdom are held annually in October. The following figures have been calculated from the results of the enquiries nearest to the dates set out above:—

Period Average earnings of administrative, technical and clerical employees Percentage change
October, 1957 to October, 1958 + 3.2
October, 1960 to October, 1961 +4.9
October, 1965 to October, 1966 +4.3

An index of salary rates cannot be calculated, mainly because in large sectors of private industry there are no nationally negotiated salary rates. In many cases salaries are negotiated on an individual basis.