§ Mr. Pikeasked the Paymaster General what percentage of the total work force in the north-west region are now employed in manufacturing industries; and what was the comparative 1979 figure.
§ Mr. LeeEstimates of the labour force in manufacturing industries in regions are not available, as the self-employed statistics are not analysed in this way.
In September 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, 21 per cent. of the total civilian working population, which is the sum of employees in employment, the self employed and the unemployed, in the north-west region were employees in employment in manufacturing industries. The comparable figure for September 1979 was 31 per cent.
Some of the decrease in the number of employees in employment in manufacturing will be the result of the reclassification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, catering, computer services and road haulage, previously done by manufacturer's 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.