Labour Statistics (Hansard, 17 January 1986)

§ Mr. Alexander
asked the Paymaster General what was the number of low-paid male manual workers for each year since 1975 and the proportion of the total work force that they represented.

§ Mr. Alan Clark
The number and proportion of adult male manual employees with relatively low weekly earnings can be assessed from the tables on the distribution of weekly earnings regularly published in the annual reports on the "New Earnings Survey", table 14 for 1975 to 1981 and table 29 for 1982 to 1985, copies of which are available in the Library.
It is a matter of judgment what levels of relatively low pay are regarded as significant.

§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
asked the Paymaster General how many 16-year-olds entered employment, excluding special training measures, in each of the last 15 years; and what these numbers represent as a percentage of their respective age groups.

§ Mr. Alan Clark
Information in the precise form requested is not available. The latest available relevant estimates for 1984 and 1985 are shown in the following table:

Young people aged 16 years^* in Great Britain

January 1984 January 1985

Numbers Per cent. Numbers Per cent.

Total population of which: 895,000 100 870,000 100

(a) in full-time education or YTS, or claimant unemployed 745,000 83 740,000 85

(b) other: mainly employed outside YTS† 155,000 17 130,000 15

^* Ages as at preceding 31 August.

†Mainly those in employment but excluding those employed under the youth training scheme and including some who were seeking work but not claiming benefit and others who were neither employed nor seeking work—for example, because of domestic responsibilities. This group is obtained by subtracting from the total population of the age group those estimated to be in full-time education or in the youth training scheme and the claimant unemployed.

Similar estimates for 1974–83 are shown in table 5 of Statistical Bulletin 5/85, published by the Department of Education and Science, which is available in the Library. Corresponding estimates prior to 1974 are not readily available.

Young people aged 16 years^* in Great Britain
	January 1984	January 1985
	Numbers	Per cent.	Numbers	Per cent.
Total population of which:	895,000	100	870,000	100
(a) in full-time education or YTS, or claimant unemployed	745,000	83	740,000	85
(b) other: mainly employed outside YTS†	155,000	17	130,000	15
^* Ages as at preceding 31 August.
†Mainly those in employment but excluding those employed under the youth training scheme and including some who were seeking work but not claiming benefit and others who were neither employed nor seeking work—for example, because of domestic responsibilities. This group is obtained by subtracting from the total population of the age group those estimated to be in full-time education or in the youth training scheme and the claimant unemployed.