HC Deb 11 January 1988 vol 125 c19W
Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cash increase in average earnings since 1980, with the 1980 sum expressed as 100.

Mr. Lee

The average earnings index for the whole economy at October 1987 relative to January 1980 = 100 was 203.8, seasonally adjusted, representing an increase of 103–8 per cent.

Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those areas where unemployment rose in December 1987; and if he will list employment statistics separately for Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Mr. Lee

Unemployment figures for 10 December 1987 are not yet available. They will be released on Thursday 14 January. The latest available employee estimates for counties and smaller areas are from the September 1984 census of employment and are as follows:

Employees in employment1: September 1984
County1 Figures
East Sussex 228,100
West Sussex 249,900
Hampshire 567,800
Isle of Wight 41,300
1 The figures exclude the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces.
2 The counties are defined in terms of ward boundaries as at 1984.