HC Deb 14 December 1981 vol 15 cc60-1W
Mr. Watson

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing earnings in the public sector relative to the private sector over the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne

The following table shows the main public sector earnings figures from each of the Department of Employment's new earnings surveys as a percentage of the corresponding private sector figures. The table will be included in a short article in the December issue of the Treasury's "Economic Progress Report", which is to be published on 15 December. A copy will be placed in the Library.

Public and Private Sector Earnings* 1979–80 Public sector earnings as a percentage of private sector earnings for manuals and non-manuals
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
a. Public sector (b+c+d)
Manuals 93.4 94.3 96.7 96.1 97.3 106.2 104.5 102.4 100.9 100.0 103.9 106.9
Non-manuals 102.3 101.3 104.4 100.8 103.5 107.5 112.1 107.6 101.0 99.0 102.0 106.3
Total 100.0 100.3 103.6 100.7 102.7 109.0 110.5 107.2 103.4 101.5 105.3 •106.4
b. Central Government†
Manuals‡ 81 86 84 79 83 91 91 91 88 84 95 95
Non-manuals 103 102 103 96 105 104 113 109 102 100 108 •104
Total 102 105 105 98 106 108 114 112 104 100 111 108
c. Local government
Manuals‡ 78 81 80 80 81 89 88 84 86 84 91 91
Non-manuals 102 101 104 103 103 109 113 107 100 97 98 106
Total 102 104 107 105 105 112 115 111 102 99 102 108
d. Public corporations
Manuals 102 101 105 104 105 115 113 111 109 108 111 115
Non-Manuals 99 100 102 100 102 109 110 108 102 102 103 108
Total 98 97 100 100 101 110 109 107 104 104 105 109

Source:

DE Gazette December 1977 and New Earnings Survey each year 1978–81.

* Comparisons have been made in terms of the average gross weekly earnings of full-time men aged 21 and over, whose pay during the Survey period was not affected by absence. Manuals and non-manual group earnings have been related to the appropriate private sector group.

† Includes NHS.

‡ The figures for central Government, local government and public corporations are calculated on a rather different basis in the periods 1970–77 and 1978–1981. The different bases of calculation have no effect on the figures for the public sector as a whole, and a significant effect only on the figures for manuals in central Government and local authorities: results on both bases for 1977 suggest that the figures on the 1970–77 basis may have understated the level of earnings for those workers by 2½ per cent, and 4½ per cent, respectively.

• If rough adjustments are made for:

  • i. the 1981 non-industrial Civil Service award which was too late to be included in the 1981 NES;
  • ii. the effects of the Civil Service strike (which had a greater effect on the lower grades than on the higher grades and so raised the average earnings of those whose pay was not affected by absence);

the central Government non-manuals figure would be 107 and the total public sector figure would be 108.8.