Labour Statistics (Hansard, 30 November 1987)

§ Mr. Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the numbers in manufacturing employment for each year since 1964; and if he will also express these data as a percentage of the total labour force.

§ Mr. Lee
The figures are given in the following table.
Some of the decrease in the numbers of employees in employment in manufacturing in recent years will be the result of the reclassification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, 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.
398W

Civilian employed labour force in manufacturing industries¹ in Great Britain

June each year ² Thousands As a percentage of the Civilian Working Population Per cent.

1964 8,386 34

1965 8,493 35

1966 8,513 35

1967 8,258 34

1968 8,183 34

1969 8,299 34

1970 8,285 34

1971 8,019 33

1972 7,760 32

1973 7,806 32

1974 7,858 32

1975 7,491 30

1976 7,260 29

1977 7,315 29

1978 7,280 29

1979 7,247 28

1980 6,944 27

1981 6,245 24

1982 5,899 23

1983 5,568 22

1984 5,483 21

1985 5,464 21

1986 5,346 20

1987 5,293 20

¹ Figures for dates before June 1971 are based on the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification definition of manufacturing; from June 1971 they are based on the 1980 SIC definition.

² Estimates of the self-employed before 1971 are based on information from censuses of population and exchanges of national insurance cards. Estimates from 1971 are based on censuses of population and the results of labour force surveys. The latest firm estimate is for 1986.

Mr. Alan Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage change in manufacturing employment in each of his Department's administrative regions since 1979; and what information he has on comparable figures in other manufacturing countries.

§ Mr. Lee
Between June 1979 and June 1987 (the latest date for which comparable figures are available) the percentage changes in the numbers of employees in employment in the manufacturing industries of the English standard regions are as follows:

Percentage change

South East -27

East Anglia —

South West -16

West Midlands -29

East Midlands -19

Yorkshire and Humberside -36

North West -37

North -35

Some of the decrease in the figures will be the result of the reclassification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, 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 399W manufacturing to service sector employment. The information available for other countries is set out in the table below.

Manufacturing employees in employment

Thousands

1979 1985 Percentage change

Spain 2,705 2,131 -21.2

Ireland 228 190 -16.7

Belgium 888 753 -15.2

France 5,291 4,589 -13.3

Italy 4,716 4,101 -13.0

Luxembourg 579 516 -10.9

Australia 1,177 1,051 -10.7

United States 21,040 19,314 -8.2

Denmark 522 485 -7.1

Sweden 1,005 947 -5.8

Canada 2,048 1,951 -4.7

Norway 370 354 -4.3

Finland 582 577 -0.9

Greece 448 471 +5.1

Japan 11,070 12,350 +11.6

SourceOECD 'Labour Force Statistics 1965–1985'.
International comparison of labour market statistics should be treated with caution as it is difficult to obtain data for different countries on a consistent basis. This difficulty increases if regional statistics are to be compared between countries. However, the Eurostat publications "Yearbooks of Regional Statistics" give some information on regional manufacturing employment in European Community countries; copies are available in the Library.

Mr. Alan Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage change there has been in unemployment in each of his Department's administrative regions over the last(a) five, (b) four, (c) three and (d) two years.

§ Mr. Lee
The following information is available from the Library. The table shows, in percentage terms, the change in the numbers of unemployed claimants, adjusted for discontinuity and seasonality, in each standard economic planning region of the United Kingdom, over the periods requested by October 1987. The adjustments are not made for those of my Department's administrative regions which differ from standard economic planning regions.

Percentage

Persentage change over:

Region 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years

South East -20.4 -16.6 -9.0 0.4

(Greater London) -15.1 -9.5 -1.4 10.6

East Anglia -18.6 -13.3 -10.6 -4.1

South West -20.7 -16.6 -8.2 0.2

West Midlands -19.8 -19.9 -17.8 -12.4

East Midlands -13.8 -13.2 -4.7 4.1

Yorks. and Humber -11.2 -8.2 -1.2 3.6

North West -15.8 -14.0 -11.1 -4.3

North -14.3 -12.9 -5.9 0.2

Wales -18.9 -16.0 -8.8 -4.7

Scotland -5.8 -2.1 1.9 6.7

Great Britain -16.0 -13.4 -7.6 -0.8

Northern Ireland 4.7 8.6 9.6 15.9

United Kingdom -15.1 -12.4 -6.8 0.0

Civilian employed labour force in manufacturing industries¹ in Great Britain
June each year	² Thousands	As a percentage of the Civilian Working Population Per cent.
1964	8,386	34
1965	8,493	35
1966	8,513	35
1967	8,258	34
1968	8,183	34
1969	8,299	34
1970	8,285	34
1971	8,019	33
1972	7,760	32
1973	7,806	32
1974	7,858	32
1975	7,491	30
1976	7,260	29
1977	7,315	29
1978	7,280	29
1979	7,247	28
1980	6,944	27
1981	6,245	24
1982	5,899	23
1983	5,568	22
1984	5,483	21
1985	5,464	21
1986	5,346	20
1987	5,293	20
¹ Figures for dates before June 1971 are based on the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification definition of manufacturing; from June 1971 they are based on the 1980 SIC definition.
² Estimates of the self-employed before 1971 are based on information from censuses of population and exchanges of national insurance cards. Estimates from 1971 are based on censuses of population and the results of labour force surveys. The latest firm estimate is for 1986.

	Percentage change
South East	-27
East Anglia	—
South West	-16
West Midlands	-29
East Midlands	-19
Yorkshire and Humberside	-36
North West	-37
North	-35

Manufacturing employees in employment
Thousands
	1979	1985	Percentage change
Spain	2,705	2,131	-21.2
Ireland	228	190	-16.7
Belgium	888	753	-15.2
France	5,291	4,589	-13.3
Italy	4,716	4,101	-13.0
Luxembourg	579	516	-10.9
Australia	1,177	1,051	-10.7
United States	21,040	19,314	-8.2
Denmark	522	485	-7.1
Sweden	1,005	947	-5.8
Canada	2,048	1,951	-4.7
Norway	370	354	-4.3
Finland	582	577	-0.9
Greece	448	471	+5.1
Japan	11,070	12,350	+11.6

Percentage
	Persentage change over:
Region	2 years	3 years	4 years	5 years
South East	-20.4	-16.6	-9.0	0.4
(Greater London)	-15.1	-9.5	-1.4	10.6
East Anglia	-18.6	-13.3	-10.6	-4.1
South West	-20.7	-16.6	-8.2	0.2
West Midlands	-19.8	-19.9	-17.8	-12.4
East Midlands	-13.8	-13.2	-4.7	4.1
Yorks. and Humber	-11.2	-8.2	-1.2	3.6
North West	-15.8	-14.0	-11.1	-4.3
North	-14.3	-12.9	-5.9	0.2
Wales	-18.9	-16.0	-8.8	-4.7
Scotland	-5.8	-2.1	1.9	6.7
Great Britain	-16.0	-13.4	-7.6	-0.8
Northern Ireland	4.7	8.6	9.6	15.9
United Kingdom	-15.1	-12.4	-6.8	0.0