Earnings (Hansard, 24 May 1974)

§ Mr. Ralph Howell
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the table of estimates of average gross weekly earnings by the industry group shown in his letter to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North dated 10th April but giving separate figures for each of agriculture, fishing and forestry, and if possible bringing the figures up to April 1974.

§ Mr. Booth
The following estimates of average gross weekly earnings by industry group were obtained from the New Earnings Survey. They relate to April of each year and to full-time manual men aged 21 and over in Great Britain whose pay for the particular survey 289W reference period was not affected by absence. As requested, the table is arranged in descending order with the industry group with the highest average gross weekly earnings in April 1973 at
290W
the top and the industry group with the lowest average gross weekly earnings in April 1973 at the bottom. Comparable figures for April 1974 will not be available until about November 1974.

1970 1971 1972 1973

Industry Group £ £ £ £

Vehicles … … 31.50 34.90 38.90 44.20

Paper, printing and publishing … … 31.50 34.10 38.70 44.10

Coal and petroleum products … … 30.40 33.70 38.40 42.20

Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 29.10 33.50 36.30 42.00

Metal Manufacture … … 29.80 31.30 35.10 40.90

Bricks, pottery, glass, cement etc. … … 27.60 31.30 34.60 40.30

Transport and communication … … 28.50 31.20 35.30 40.20

Construction … … 26.90 28.50 31.90 39.90

Mining and quarrying … … 26.20 29.60 34.40 39.70

Chemicals and allied industries … … 29.00 31.00 35.10 39.60

Gas, electricity and water … … 26.00 29.60 34.60 39.30

Mechanical engineering … … 28.80 30.80 33.40 39.10

Other manufacturing … … 28.00 30.40 34.40 39.00

Food, drink and tobacco … … 26.70 30.00 33.50 38.80

Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 28.30 29.90 32.70 38.60

Electrical engineering … … 27.60 29.90 33.30 38.30

Timber, furniture etc. … … 25.10 28.20 31.60 38. 10

Instrument engineering … … 26.10 28.70 31.30 36.20

Textiles … … 24.80 27.40 30.80 35.20

Clothing and footwear … … 23.70 25.90 29.00 33.30

Insurance, banking, finance and business services … … 22.90 28. 00 30.60 33.10

Distributive trades … … 22.70 25.60 28.10 32.20

Public administration … … 21.40 24.50 26.90 31.10

Miscellaneous services … … 21.90 23.80 26.30 30.30

Professional and scientific services … … 22.40 25.00 27.10 30.20

Agriculture, forestry and fishing … … 20.30 23.00 26.00 29.50

Agriculture and horticulture … … 18.90 21.20 24.30 27.80

Forestry … … 22.40 26.30 28.40 30.10

Fishing … … 33.40 34.30 39.90 44.20

All industries and services … … 26.80 29.40 32.80 38.10

The estimates are given to the nearest 10p and are subject to sampling error. It is inevitable that this table based on the New Earnings Survey will show some differences in the order in which industries are listed from similar tables based on other sources.

§ Mr. Heseltine
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the average earnings in manufacturing industry, in the service industries and in the economy at large for each of the years since 1948.

§ Mr. Booth
Over this period the only available estimates relate to manual workers in manufacturing, other index of production industries and a few service industries. These are given in British Labour Statistics Historical Abstract 1886 to 1968, Tables 41 and 42; Yearbook 1969, Table 10; Yearbook 1970 and 1971, Table 9; and the monthly Department of EmploymentGazette, Table 122. Corresponding estimates for all industries and all service industries or estimates including non-manual workers are not available.

	1970	1971	1972	1973
Industry Group	£	£	£	£
Vehicles	…	…	31.50	34.90	38.90	44.20
Paper, printing and publishing	…	…	31.50	34.10	38.70	44.10
Coal and petroleum products	…	…	30.40	33.70	38.40	42.20
Shipbuilding and marine engineering	…	…	29.10	33.50	36.30	42.00
Metal Manufacture	…	…	29.80	31.30	35.10	40.90
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement etc.	…	…	27.60	31.30	34.60	40.30
Transport and communication	…	…	28.50	31.20	35.30	40.20
Construction	…	…	26.90	28.50	31.90	39.90
Mining and quarrying	…	…	26.20	29.60	34.40	39.70
Chemicals and allied industries	…	…	29.00	31.00	35.10	39.60
Gas, electricity and water	…	…	26.00	29.60	34.60	39.30
Mechanical engineering	…	…	28.80	30.80	33.40	39.10
Other manufacturing	…	…	28.00	30.40	34.40	39.00
Food, drink and tobacco	…	…	26.70	30.00	33.50	38.80
Metal goods not elsewhere specified	…	…	28.30	29.90	32.70	38.60
Electrical engineering	…	…	27.60	29.90	33.30	38.30
Timber, furniture etc.	…	…	25.10	28.20	31.60	38. 10
Instrument engineering	…	…	26.10	28.70	31.30	36.20
Textiles	…	…	24.80	27.40	30.80	35.20
Clothing and footwear	…	…	23.70	25.90	29.00	33.30
Insurance, banking, finance and business services	…	…	22.90	28. 00	30.60	33.10
Distributive trades	…	…	22.70	25.60	28.10	32.20
Public administration	…	…	21.40	24.50	26.90	31.10
Miscellaneous services	…	…	21.90	23.80	26.30	30.30
Professional and scientific services	…	…	22.40	25.00	27.10	30.20
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	…	…	20.30	23.00	26.00	29.50
Agriculture and horticulture	…	…	18.90	21.20	24.30	27.80
Forestry	…	…	22.40	26.30	28.40	30.10
Fishing	…	…	33.40	34.30	39.90	44.20
All industries and services	…	…	26.80	29.40	32.80	38.10
The estimates are given to the nearest 10p and are subject to sampling error. It is inevitable that this table based on the New Earnings Survey will show some differences in the order in which industries are listed from similar tables based on other sources.