HC Deb 26 July 1979 vol 971 cc440-2W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for each year since 1973 for each member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (a) the increase or decrease in hourly earnings and (b) the increase or decrease in hourly earnings after account is taken of inflation.

Mr. Jim Lester

The available data are given in the following table. Caution is required in making comparisons because of differences in coverage and methods of compilation used in the various countries. Some of these differences for earnings figures are indicated in the footnotes.

YEAR-ON-YEAR INCREASES IN GROSS EARNINGS (MALE AND FEMALE MANUAL WORKERS) AND CONSUMER PRICES
Percentages
Country Gross hourly earnings per head in manufacturing Consumer prices
1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78
United Kingdom (a) … … … 17 26 16 10 15 16 24 17 16 8
Australia (b) (c) … … … 27 19 15 11 7 15 15 13 12 8
Austria (b) (d) … … … 16 13 9 9 6 10 8 7 5 4
Belgium (e) … … … 21 20 11 9 7 13 13 9 7 4
Canada … … … 13 16 15 10 7 11 11 7 8 9
Denmark (d) … … … 21 19 13 10 10 15 10 9 11 10
Finland (f) … … … 23 20 16 8 8 17 18 14 13 7
France (b) … … … 19 17 14 13 13 14 12 10 9 9
Germany (Federal Republic) … … … 10 8 8 6 5 7 6 4 4 3
Greece … … … 26 25 29 21 24 27 13 13 12 13
Irish Republic … … … 20 29 17 15 .. 17 21 18 14 8
Italy (b) … … … 22 27 21 28 16 19 17 17 18 12
Japan (g) … … … 26 11 13 10 7 24 12 9 8 4
Luxembourg … … … 23 10 15 9 .. 10 11 10 7 3
Netherlands (b) … … … 18 14 9 8 5 10 10 9 6 4
New Zealand (f) (h) … … … 14 14 12 13 13 11 15 17 14 12
Norway (c) … … … 18 19 17 10 8 10 12 9 9 9
Spain (f) … … … 15 29 31 22 26 16 17 18 24 20
Sweden (d) … … … 11 15 18 7 9 11 9 11 11 10
Switzerland (g) … … … 14 7 2 2 3 10 7 2 1 1
United States … … … 8 9 8 8 9 11 9 6 7 7

Main Source: OECD—Main Economic Indicators.

Notes:

.. Not available.

(a) Wages and salaries on a weekly basis.

(b) Hourly wage rates.

(c) Males only.

(d) Including mining.

(e) Including mining and transport.

(f) All industry.

(g) Monthly earnings.

(h) Weekly rates; data prior to 1978 relate to males only.