HC Deb 28 October 1971 vol 823 cc426-7W
Mr. Carter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the potential number of the total work force; and what is the number of persons at present employed.

Mr. Dudley Smith

The total working population of Great Britain is derived mainly from counts of national insurance cards exchanged on behalf of employees, together with estimates of numbers of employers and self-employed persons and numbers in H.M. Forces. The most recent figure is for March, 1971, when the working population was estimated to be 24,783,000. This comprised 24,083,000 persons in civil employment or H.M. Forces, together with 700,000 persons registered as wholly unemployed.

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