§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of average industrial wages in each EEC country, at the relevant exchange rates for each year, at the latest date for which information is available, and in each previous year since 1960; and what was the percentage increase each year for each country.
§ Mr. John Grant,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 26th July 1976; Vol.
AVERAGE GROSS HOURLY EARNINGS IN MANUFACTURING IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EEC CONVERTED TO POUNDS STERLING Average Gross hourly earnings in Pounds Sterling1 United Kingdom Males4 Females5 Belgium Denmark France6 Germany Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands 1960 … 0.32 0.18 n.a. 0.30 0.15 0.22 0.17 0.13 n.a. 0.17 1961 … 0.34 0.20 n.a. 0.33 0.16 0.25 0.18 0.14 n.a. 0.20 1962 … 0.35 0.20 n.a. 0.36 0.18 0.29 0.20 0.16 n.a. 0.22 1963 … 0.37 0.21 n.a. 0.39 0.19 0.31 0.21 0.19 n.a. 0.24 1964 … 0.40 0.23 0.30 0.43 0.21 0.34 0.23 0.21 n.a. 0.27 1965 … 0.44 0.25 0.32 0.48 0.22 0.37 0.24 0.22 0.46 0.30 1966 … 0.46 0.27 0.35 0.54 0.23 0.40 0.27 0.23 0.48 0.33 1967 … 0.48 0.28 0.37 0.58 0.25 0.41 0.29 0.25 0.49 0.35 1968 … 0.52 0.30 0.45 0.72 0.32 0.50 0.32 0.30 0.61 0.44 1969 … 0.60 0.32 0.50 0.78 0.34 0.58 0.36 0.33 0.65 0.49 1970 … 0.64 0.37 0.56 0.88 0.35 0.68 0.42 0.40 0.75 0.56 1971 … 0.72 0.42 0.64 0.99 0.39 0.78 0.49 0.47 0.82 0.66 1972 … 0.82 0.49 0.83 1.17 0.46 0.91 0.56 0.54 1.03 0.79 1973 … 0.93 0.56 1.12 1.67 0.65 1.23 0.69 0.68 1.36 1.16 1974 … 1.12 0.73 1.39 1.98 0.75 1.48 0.83 0.807 1.69 n.a. 1975 … 1.40 0.93 1.80 n.a. n.a. 1.78 1.10 n.a. n.a. n.a. 424W
Annual Percentage Increase2 United Kingdom Males4 Females5 Belgium Denmark France Germany Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands 1960 … — — — — — — — — — — 1961 … 6.3 6.6 n.a 12.2 7.9 13.4 7.9 7.5 n.a. 19.2 1962 … 4.1 4.6 n.a. 9.1 7.9 13.4 11.2 14.7 n.a. 10.0 1963 … 4.5 4.4 n.a. 8.3 9.0 7.6 5.6 17.1 n.a. 7.3 1964 … 7.6 7.0 n.a. 9.5 7.8 8.7 11.0 10.9 n.a. 15.3 1965 … 10.1 9.2 7.1 11.4 5.3 — 5.2 3.8 n.a. 8.9 1966 … 5.5 6.4 10.1 13.0 5.9 7.3 11.9 4.1 4.1 10.3 1967 … 4.5 4.5 6.9 8.3 5.6 4.5 5.5 — 2.5 8.6 1968 … 6.8 6.9 21.2 22.4 30.6 21.0 10.8 21.6 24.3 24.6 1969 … — — 10.6 9.5 4.7 15.6 — 9.4 7.1 11.8 1970 … 15.2 15.9 11.8 11.7 5.1 17.8 17.8 23.6 14.6 14.0 1971 … 11.8 13.5 15.4 12.9 9.4 14.7 15.8 15.4 9.2 17.8 1972 … 14.0 15.7 28.6 18.8 20.0 16.1 13.8 16.1 26.1 20.1 1973 … 13.2 15.8 — 42.2 — — 22.9 25.4 32.6 46.3 1974 … 20.1 28.9 23.9 18.4 15.3 20.4 20.8 17.7 23.9 n.a. 1975 … 25.4 27.9 29.4 n.a. n.a. 20.4 32.8 n.a. n.a. n.a. 916, c. 79],gave the following information:
For each member country of the EEC, the attached table gives the average gross hourly earnings in manufacturing industries for each year since 1960, and the percentage annual increase. The earnings are expressed in pounds sterling, converted on the basis of foreign exchange rates prevailing in the periods to which the earnings data relate. The comparisons are considerably affected by fluctuating market exchange rates and to a lesser extend by differences in the way countries compile the data.
425W
Currency Exchange Rates3 £1 equals Belgium Francs Denmark Crowns France Francs Germany Marks Italy Lira Luxembourg Francs Netherlands Guilders 1960 … … … — 19.35 13.77 11.71 1,743 — 10.60 1961 … … … — 19.34 13.75 11.43 1,740 — 10.15 1962 … … … — 19.39 13.76 11.22 1,743 — 10.09 1963 … … … — 19.33 13.72 11.16 1,740 — 10.08 1964 … … … 138.1 19.29 13.68 11.10 1,743 — 10.02 1965 … … … 139.2 19.35 13.70 11.17 1,747 139.2 10.09 1966 … … … 139.6 19.30 13.72 11.17 1,744 139.6 10.10 1967 … … … 138.1 19.33 13.73 11.12 1,741 138.1 10.01 1968 … … … 120.3 17.94 11.85 9.56 1,492 120.3 8.70 1969 … … … 119.4 17.96 12.58 9.11 1,499 119.4 8.60 1970 … … … 118.5 17.91 13.24 8.74 1,502 118.5 8.59 1971 … … … 116.6 18.10 13.47 8.52 1,511 116.6 8.36 1972 … … … 105.8 16.98 12.61 7.97 1,459 105.8 7.76 1973 … … … 88.84 13.99 10.90 6.54 1,426 88.84 6.07 1974 … … … 89.91 14.23 11.25 6.05 1,522 89.91 — 1975 … … … 80.06 — — 5.45 — — — Notes:
1. The earnings data for United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands relate to October of each year; the figures for Ireland relate to October of each year up to 1968 and September from 1969 onwards; the Denmark figures refer to the period July to September of each year; the data for France, Germany and Italy represent annual averages.
2. Where there has been a change in the basis of a series between successive years, denoted by a black bar between the figures, the percentage increase is not shown.
3. The exchange rate relates to the same period as the earnings data. For 1967 the exchange rate for France, Germany and Italy is based on the average of the period from January to November.
4. Aged 21 years and over.
5. Aged 18 years and over.
6. Wage rates.
7. Provisional figures.
n.a. equals Not available.
Source: Earnings data—ILO Year Books of Labour Statistics.
Exchange rates—Bank of England.