§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department calculates the figures for average earnings which he publishes from time to time; what range of salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, fees and other emoluments are taken into account to arrive at the average figure; and what grounds he has for believing that a true average is recorded.
§ Mr. BoothThe bases and methods of calculation of the figures of average earnings compiled and published regularly by my Department are described in British Labour Statistics: Historical Abstract 1886 to 1968 and subsequent Yearbooks and in the annual New Earnings Survey volumes. The figures are generally based on samples considered substantial enough to yield reliable averages. In the case of the New Earnings Surveys the margins
1970 1971 1972 1973 £ £ £ £ Full-time men whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence 26.70 29.40 32.80 38.10 Full-time men who received some pay for the survey pay-period 25.80 28.80 32.10 37.00 Part-time men whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence 7.30 7.70 8.40 9.80 Part-time men who received some pay for the survey pay-period 7.20 7.60 8.40 9.70 Notes:
Part-time means those expected to work for not more than 30 hours in a normal week, excluding main-meal breaks and overtime.
The estimates are given to the nearest 10p and are subject to sampling error.
Those for 1970 are figures calculated on the same basis as those for later years and differ slightly from those given when the results of the 1970 survey were first published.
§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate 90W length of time on the register for each October.
of sampling error are given. The Department also publishes some figures which are compiled by other Departments and organisations such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the National Coal Board, British Rail and London Transport.