HC Deb 17 February 1975 vol 886 cc268-70W
Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the relationship over the past five years of wages, earnings and output per head by the main industry groups in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Albert Booth

The following table shows the percentage changes since 1968 in the annual values of the indices of average earnings, the indices of basic weekly wage rates and the indices of output per head for the five years 1969 to 1973 for broad industry groups. Most of the corresponding 1974 figures are not yet available:

PERCENTAGE INCREASES SINCE 1968 IN ANNUAL ESTIMATES OF EARNINGS, WAGE RATES AND OUTPUT PER HEAD
Average Earnings of Employees* Basic Weekly Wage Rates of Manual Workers Output per Person Employed
1969 1970 1971 1972§ 1973 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973‡
Mining and quarrying … 5.7 15.7 29.0 55.6║ 66.9 5.5 17.2 40.5 73.0 83.4 4.0 5.5 8.6 -4.5 11.7
Manufacturing industries … 8.0 21.6 35.4 52.8 72.1 5.5 16.0 30.5 48.5 67.6 2.5 3.4 6.4 12.6 21.3
Metal manufacture … 8.9 22.9 29.6 49.6 71.3 6.5 15.3 25.3 43.8 64.5 1.8 0.8 -2.4 4.7 14.6
Mechanical, instrument and electrical engineering 8.5 22.6 35.7 52.5 72.5 4.5 7.1 12.0 16.8 29.3
Shipbuilding and marine engineering … … 11.5 23.8 38.8 51.0 73.7 Not available
Vehicles … … … 8.5 24.1 38.0 58.4 74.8 2.9 -3.5 -2.4 4.4 3.4
Metal goods not elsewhere specified … … 8.8 21.7 33.6 50.4 70.2 Not available
Textiles … … … 6.8 17.5 33.1 49.7 68.8 2.6 19.1 39.5 55.7 76.6 1.6 6.0 15.3 23.3 31.3
Gas, electricity and water … 7.4 21.9 41.4 62.1 78.3 7.4 20.6 34.9 46.9 59.8 9.3 18.1 27.6 44.2 57.9
All industries and services† … 7.8 20.7 34.5 51.8 71.8 5.2 15.8 30.7 48.8 69.2 2.0 4.3 8.0 10.6 13.9
* Great Britain only.
† The index of average earnings covers all manufacturing industries, agriculture, mining and quarrying, construction, gas, electricity and water, transport and communication (except rail transport and postal services), certain miscellaneous services and all categories of employees.
‡ Provisional.
§ Because industrial activity was severely disrupted by restricted electricity supplies, the monthly inquiry into average earnings was not carried out in February 1972. Consequently, figures for 1972 are based on an average of the other 11 months.
║ Because of disputes in coalmining, a reliable index for mining and quarrying could not be calculated for January and February 1972. Consequently the figure is an average of the other 10 months of 1972.