HC Deb 01 July 1981 vol 7 cc394-5W
Mr. Deakins

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women, respectively, were employed in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and how many persons over retirement age are included in those figures.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The numbers of men and women, respectively, employed in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years are as follows:

Employees in Employment—United Kingdom
(thousands)
men women
June 1976 13,392 9,152
June 1977 13,363 9,255
June 1978 13,385 9,372
June 1979 13,380 9,540
June 1980 13,110 9,401

Comparable information on the numbers of employees over retirement age is not available. However it is estimated that between 1977 and 1979 the number of male employees, 65 years of age and over, fell from about 300,000 to 250,000 and the number of female employees aged 60 and over fell from about 550,000 to 400,000.