HC Deb 16 February 1977 vol 926 cc287-8W
Mr. George Rodgers

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of hours worked per year per employee in manufacturing industry and index of production industries, respectively, in the last year for which figures are available; what was the average percentage of those hours represented by overtime working; and what are the corresponding figures for each of the other member countries of the EEC.

Mr. Golding

The following table provides information of the average number of hours worked during the year per manual worker and per non-manual worker separately, in each of the member countries of the EEC with the exception of Ireland for which comparable data are not available. The figures relate to 1972 except for the United Kingdom and Denmark in which cases they are for 1973. It is not possible to distinguish separately those hours which are regarded as overtime.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED* DURING THE YEAR PER MANUAL WORKER AND PER NON-MANUAL WORKER IN MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE EEC, 1972-73†
Manufacturing industries Index of production industries
United Kingdom:
Per manual worker 1906 1,911
Per non-manual worker 1,793 1,794
Federal Republic of Germany:
Per manual worker 1,755 1,778
Per non-manual worker 1,859 1,863
France:
Per manual worker: 1,938 1,976
Per non-manual worker 2,003 2,011
Italy:
Per manual worker 1,684 1,668
Per non-manual worker 1,900 1,900
Netherlands:
Per employee (manual and non-manual) 1,801 1,793
Belgium:
Per manual worker 1,765 1,758
Per non-manual worker 1,931 1,934
Luxembourg:
Per manual worker 1,903 1,965
Per non-manual worker 1,847 1,869
Denmark:
Per manual worker 1,728 1,703
Per non-manual worker n.a. n.a.
* The figures for manual workers are hours actually worked but for non-manual workers are the hours regarded as customary rather than those actually worked.
† With the exception of the United Kingdom and Denmark the figures are for 1972 and relate to establishments with 10 and more employees. The United Kingdom and Denmark figures are for 1973 and relate to establishments with 50 or more employees and 6 or more employees respectively.

n.a. = Not available.

Source: "Labour Costs in Industry 1972-75", EEC.

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