HC Deb 28 April 1980 vol 983 cc328-9W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the employee activity rates for men and women, respectively, for each of the age groups 16 to 24 years and 25 to 44 years, for men only for the age group 45 to 64 years and 65 years and over, and for women only for 45 to 59 years and 60 years and over, for each of the standard regions of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Jim Lester

[pursuant to his reply, 25 April 1980, c. 205]: The tables below show economic activity rates for men and women separately for each of the standard regions of the United Kingdom. These rates are taken from the EC Labour Force Survey conducted in 1977 and are on a different basis from those usually published by the Department of Employment.

FEMALE ACTIVITY RATES*
per cent.
Age
Region 1624 2544 4564 65+
England
South East 63.3 60.4 62.0 9.7
East Anglia 64.9 56.9 61.3 9.1
South West 59.0 60.8 59.2 8.2
West Midlands 66.2 63.0 66.2 9.8
East Midlands 59.9 58.2 60.0 7.8
Yorkshire and Humber side 64.7 63.3 63.1 9.0
North West 63.1 65.4 65.6 10.0
North 63.2 59.3 61.1 7.7
Wales 56.4 57.0 55.3 5.5
Scotland 64.9 60.1 64.6 10.4
Northern Ireland 62.0 53.0 49.0 9.9
* The percentage of the private household population aged 16 and over which is in the labour force.

Note: The EC Labour Force Survey is based on a sample of about 100,000 households throughout the United Kingdom and the results are subject to sampling errors. Small differences in the results, therefore, may not be significant.