HC Deb 14 December 1979 vol 975 cc795-6W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the reduction in employment in manufacturing industry in the principal industrial countries between 1970 and the latest available date in terms of numbers and as a percentage.

Mr. Jim Lester

The latest available data which are shown in the following table relate to employees in manufacturing, that is, they exclude self-employed workers. It is important to note that there are differences between countries in coverage and definitions used in compiling these statistics, and they are therefore not fully comparable.

EMPLOYEES IN MANUFACTURING
Changes between 1970 and second quarter 1979
Approximate numbers(thousands) Percentage
France* -200 -4
Germany (Federal Republic) -900 -11
Japan* -600 -4
United States +1,600 +8
United Kingdom -1,100 -13
*Not seasonally adjusted.
†Including self—employed.
Sources:
OECD—
Main Economic Indicators.
Labour Force Statistics.
ILO—Bulletin of Labour Statistics.