HC Deb 21 July 1987 vol 120 c156W
27. Mr. Hunter

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the number of jobs lost in manufacturing industry from 1979 to 1987 compares with losses from 1969 to 1977.

Mr. Lee

There are no figures for job losses and job gains.

Between June 1979 and March 1987 the size of the civilian employed labour force in manufacturing industry in Great Britain decreased by 1,960,000.

Between June 1971 and June 1977—there are no comparable estimates prior to 1971—there was a decrease of 705,000.

Some of the recent decrease in the number of employees in employment in manufacturing will be the result of reclassification of jobs, such as industrial cleaning, catering, computer services and road haulage, previously done by manufacturers' own employees and now done by subcontractors. This developing feature of our economy has the effect of exaggerating the extent of the move from manufacturing to service sector employment.

The civilian employed labour force is the sum of employees in employment and the self employed.

63. Mr. Livsey

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the trend in unemployment in manufacturing.

Mr. Lee

The information is not available. The claimant count of unemployment cannot be analysed by the industry in which the claimant last worked. However, current indications are that compared with a year ago manufacturing output has increased, the rate of reduction in manufacturing employment has slowed, and overtime hours have increased.