HC Deb 18 December 1984 vol 70 cc115-6W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the United Kingdom and the United States of America the increase in prices and earnings in manufacturing, taking account of changes in working hours, over the past 12 months together with the increase in take-home pay as a result of changes in taxation; whether he will include figures showing hours worked and the change in unit labour costs in both cases; and if he will compare the latest monthly change in the employment figures in the two countries for manufacturing and for other industries.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The latest information for comparable periods is as follows:

Percentage change
(a) Percentage change in retail prices in the 12 months to October 1984
United Kingdom (Retail Prices Index) +5.0
United States (Consumer Price Index) +4.2
(b) Percentage change in average gross hourly earnings in manufacturing industries in the 12 months to September 1984
Great Britain (estimated underlying increase)* About 8.25
United States (production workers) 3.7
(c) Percentage change in average weekly hours in manufacturing industries (seasonally adjusted) in the 12 months to September 1984
Great Britain (operatives) +0.3
United States (production workers) -0.5
(d) Percentage change in manufacturing unit wage and salary costs in the 12 months to August 1984
United Kingdom +5.1
United States +0.7

Manufacturing† Other industries and services
(e) Change in employees in employment between March and June 1984 (thousands, seasonally adjusted)
Great Britain +3 +7
United States (non agricultural payrolls) +163 +914

* The estimated underlying increase for Great Britain is based on the underlying increase in average weekly earnings in manufacturing industries of 8.75 per cent, and the information on average weekly hours of operatives.

† The change between August and September, available only for manufacturing employees, was +13 thousand in Great Britain and -124 thousand in the United States.

Sources:

Employment Gazette (November 1984) and OECD Main Economic Indicators (November 1984).

Changes in taxation are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.