HC Deb 24 February 1981 vol 999 cc320-1W
29. Mr. Dorrell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of people employed in 1950 compared to 1980.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The following table gives estimates of the numbers of employees in employment in the United Kingdom at June 1950 and June 1980. The census of employment, introduced in June 1971, measured employees at a new level. Allowance has been made for this and other differences in a continuous series of employment estimates which is available from June 1959. In comparing the figures for June 1950 and June 1980, account should be taken of the difference between the estimates at June 1959(a), which is on the old basis, and June 1959 (b), which is from the new series.

June each year Employed persons
1950 20,758,000
(a)l959 22,008,000
(b)l959 21,417,000
1980
(provisional) 22,409,000