§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the relative change in wage differentials for 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20-year-old males and females compared with average adult wages in each year from 1973 to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 3 July 1981, c. 523]: The available information on the average earnings of employees aged under 21 in relation to those for employees aged 21 and over, from the New Earnings Survey, is as follows:
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Ages* Under 21 18 to 20 Under 18 16 17 18 19 20 1975 68 74 58 53 60 68 75 79 1976 67 73 54 48 56 65 72 77 1977 68 74 55 — — — — — 1978 68 74 54 50 57 68 74 80 1979 69 75 56 52 58 69 74 80 1980 68 73 55 53 57 67 73 79 Notes * At 1 January preceding survey. † A significant number of employees aged 15 were included in the survey prior to the raising of the school leaving age in 1973. ‡ For 1974 and 1977 analyses by individual years of age were not prepared. The average earnings of employees aged 21 and over will not correspond precisely with those of employees on adult rates which become payable at various ages from 18 onwards in different occupations. In 1980 the average earnings of employees on adult rates were 1.6 per cent. and 3.3 per cent. respectively below the average earnings of male and female employees aged 21 and over.
§ Mr. Alexander W. Lyonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the relative change in wage differentials for apprentices compared to the average adult wages between 1973 and the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 3 July 1981, c. 523]: Comprehensive information on the earnings of apprentices and full-time trainees is only obtained in periodical labour costs surveys. The latest figures, for 1975 and 1978, were as follows:
Average annual earnings* in pence per hour worked Apprentices and full-time trainees (a) All employees† (b) (a) as percentage of (b) 1975 81.2 145.9 56 1978 ‡119.1 209.0 57 (*) Production industries (manufacturing; mining and quarrying; construction; gas, water and electricity). (†) It is not possible to identify 'adult' employees in the surveys and the average earnings of apprentices, etc., are expressed as a percentage of those of all employees. In relation to 'adult' employees the earnings of apprentices, etc., would tend to be lower than the figures shown. (‡) Based on firms with 200 or more employees.