§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women earned less than two-thirds the average (median) wage for men in each year since 1970, giving the figure separately for men and women.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe following estimates, derived from the New Earnings Survey, relate to full-time men aged 21 and over and full-time women aged 18 and over whose pay for the April survey pay period was not affected by absence. They are based on total gross earnings per week including overtime pay, bonuses, etc., and make no allowance for the smaller number of hours worked by women and the inclusion of younger women aged 18 to 20. The estimates are subject to sampling error. The estimates from 1975 onwards are not fully comparable with those for earlier years because employees earning below the deduction card limit for tax purposes are excluded and consequential changes have been made in the method of compilation of the estimates. The effect on the estimates for men is slight but these changes reduce the estimates for women by about ¼ million.
The numbers earning below the specified level in April 1976 represent about 472W 10 per cent. of the total number of men at all earnings levels and about 55 per cent. of the total number of women.
ESTIMATED NUMBERS (IN MILLIONS) OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES EARNING LESS THAN TWO-THIRDS THE MEDIAN GROSS WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME MEN AGED 21 AND OVER Men aged 21 and over (millions) Women aged 18 and over (millions) April— 1970 1.1 3.4 1971 1.2 3.4 1972 1.2 3.5 1973 1.2 3.5 1974 1.1 3.4 1975 1.1 2.8 1976 1.0 2.5