HC Deb 30 April 1985 vol 78 cc108-9W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of persons in work who have net incomes per week of less than (a) £70, (b) £100, (c) £120, (d) £150, (e) £200, and (f) over £200; and if he will state in each case what percentage of the total work force these numbers represent.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The latest information on the distribution of the net incomes of employed persons relates to the family expenditure survey for 1982. The table shows the cumulative percentages of those in full time employment with net incomes (gross personal income less tax and national income) below various amounts, and the cumulative percentages of the working population that these numbers represent:

Net incomes*below £ Percentage of persons Proportion of the working population†
70 25 15
100 56 33
120 73 43
Net incomes*below £ Percentage of persons Proportion of the working population†
150 87 52
200 96 57
200 and over* 4 2
* Gross income attributable to the person, both from employment or from other sources, net of national insurance and tax. This will differ from household income to the extent that full-time employees within the household are counted as separate persons, income from part-time employment is not covered and some household income, for example, child benefit may be attributed to a household member not in full-time employment.
†The proportion of persons in the survey who were full-time or part-time employees, self-employed, temporarily absent from work or out of a job. In 1982 the composition of the working population from the family expenditure survey was:
Per cent.
Full-time employees 59
Part-time employees 20
Self employed 7
Employees temporarily absent 2
Out of a job 12
100

Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1982.

Later information on the distribution of gross income from employment is available from table 1 of New Earnings Survey 1984, a copy of which is in the Library.