HC Deb 25 January 1988 vol 126 cc13-4W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give a regional breakdown of employment in manufacturing industry in August, September and October of 1987.

Mr. Lee

Estimates of employment in regions are made only for quarter months. The latest information on net changes to September 1987 is as follows:

Employees in employment in manufacturing industry: net changes between June and September 1987
Change
South East 16,000
East Anglia 5,000
South West -1,000
West Midlands 1,000
East Midlands 4,000
Yorkshire and Humberside 6,000
North West -2,000
North -1,000
Wales 5,000
Scotland -3,000

Some of the decreases 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 manufacturing to service sector employment.