HC Deb 16 January 1979 vol 960 cc702-3W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the 1978 full-time work force in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal and the United States of America were women.

Mr. Golding,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report,15th January 1979; Vol. 960, cols. 598–599],gave the following information:

The latest available estimates are given in the following table:

Percentage of persons in full-time employment who were women:1975

United Kingdom 27.1
France 34.6
Germany (FR) 31.0
Italy 25.6
Irish Republic 25.3
Belgium 29.3
Netherlands 21.2
Luxembourg 25.4
Denmark 28.4
United States 36.0(1)

Sources: Eurostat: "Labour Force Sample Survey 1975". US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Employment and Earnings January 1978".

Note: (1) 1977.

Because of the difficulties of defining part-time employment consistently between countries, the following table, which is also more up to date, shows total female employment:

Women in full-time or part-time employment as a percentage of civilian employment: 1977

Great Britain 39.4(1)
France 37.6(2)
Germany (FR) 37.9
Italy 30.6
Belgium 34.7
Norway 39.3
Sweden 43.5
Denmark 42.4
Spain 29.4
United States 40.5
Sources:
Department of Employment
OECD: Labour Force Statistics.
Eurostat: Employment and Unemployment 1971–77.
Notes:
(1) Provisional.
(2) Estimated by the Statistical Office of the European Communities, based on 1975 figures.