HC Deb 26 March 1990 vol 170 cc70-3W
Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of people by highest qualification held, and by sex, for Great Britain and each of the standard regions in(a) spring 1979 and (b) spring 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

Final estimates from the 1979 labour force survey and preliminary estimates from the 1989 labour force survey are shown in the table.

Highest qualification held by people of working age, by sex and region: spring 1979 and 1989
Persons aged 16—59/642 Thousands
Spring 1979 Spring 19893
Region of residence
Level of highest qualification held All persons Males Females All persons Males Females
Great Britain
A114 31,966 16,619 15,347 33,851 17,657 16,194
Degree or equivalent 1,687 1,245 443 2,659 1,728 931
Higher education below degree 1,540 530 1,010 1,897 763 1,134
GCE A level or equivalent 5,601 4,385 1,215 8,137 5,785 2,352
GCE O level or equivalent 3,566 1,309 2,258 5,983 2,299 3,684
CSE below grade 1 1,187 471 715 1,616 712 904
Other qualification 1,236 423 812 2,433 1,175 1,257
No formal qualification 14,019 6,059 7,960 10,827 5,017 5,810
Northern
All4 1,840 956 884 1,872 979 893
Degree or equivalent 69 53 16 91 61 30
Higher education below degree 87 34 53 95 37 58
GCE A level or equivalent 349 296 54 458 360 98
GCE O level or equivalent 155 55 100 305 107 199
CSE below grade 1 73 29 45 117 51 66
Other qualification 63 16 47 126 68 58
No formal qualification 877 356 522 662 286 376
Yorkshire and Humberside
All4 2,863 1,493 1,370 2,992 1,564 1,429
Degree or equivalent 109 80 30 187 122 64
Higher education below degree 120 41 79 171 75 96
GCE A level or equivalent 463 393 70 695 516 180
GCE O level or equivalent 265 99 166 502 193 310
CSE below grade 1 100 36 64 135 58 78
Other qualification 109 41 68 227 116 111
No formal qualification 1,429 617 811 1,044 465 579
East Midlands
All4 2,225 1,159 1,067 2,457 1,289 1,168
Degree or equivalent 88 69 19 146 99 48
Higher education below degree 109 35 74 136 63 73
GCE A level or equivalent 379 303 76 563 414 150
GCE O level or equivalent 246 88 158 418 156 262
CSE below grade 1 86 36 50 152 66 87
Other qualification 93 36 57 190 102 88
No formal qualification 1,021 452 569 831 377 453
East Anglia
All4 1,091 580 511 1,227 637 590
Degree or equivalent 47 36 10 109 67 42
Higher education below degree 50 19 31 61 23 38
GCE A level or equivalent 181 145 35 275 201 74
GCE O level or equivalent 131 51 80 224 83 141
CSE below grade 1 45 19 26 67 28 39
Other qualification 56 23 33 99 50 50
No formal qualification 485 216 270 376 178 198
South East
All4 9,965 5,170 4,795 10,629 5,528 5,101
Degree or equivalent 713 514 199 1,205 769 436
Higher education below degree 506 166 340 601 234 367
GCE A level or equivalent 1,717 1,256 462 2,442 1,667 775
GCE O level or equivalent 1,249 474 775 2,061 817 1,244
CSE below grade 1 411 168 244 496 219 277
Other qualification 415 147 268 825 377 447
No formal qualification 3,912 1,728 2,184 2,922 1,396 1,526
—Greater London
All4 4,096 2,096 2,000 4,158 2,150 2,008
Degree or equivalent 337 230 107 616 378 238
Higher education below degree 193 49 144 206 70 136
GCE A level or equivalent 618 429 189 890 589 301
GCE O level or equivalent 499 193 306 739 297 443
CSE below grade 1 148 63 85 151 62 89
Other qualification 150 57 93 352 157 195
No formal qualification 1,696 767 929 1,176 580 595
—South East (excluding Greater London)
All4 5,869 3,074 2,795 6,471 3,378 3,093
Degree or equivalent 375 284 91 589 391 198
Higher education below degree 313 117 196 395 164 231

Spring 1979 Spring 19893
Region of residence Level of highest qualification held All persons Males Females All persons Males Females
GCE A level or equivalent 1,099 827 273 1,552 1,078 474
GCE O level or equivalent 749 280 469 1,321 520 801
CSE below grade 1 263 105 159 345 156 188
Other qualification 265 90 175 473 220 253
No formal qualification 2,216 961 1,255 1,746 816 930
South West
All4 2,461 1,287 1,175 2,758 1,428 1,329
Degree or equivalent 123 92 31 173 118 55
Higher education below degree 118 40 78 179 75 104
GCE A level or equivalent 447 350 97 679 485 193
GCE O level or equivalent 305 110 195 537 203 333
CSE below grade 1 106 46 61 161 70 90
Other qualification 104 38 66 190 91 99
No formal qualification 1,003 429 574 821 376 445
West Midlands
All4 3,081 1,613 1,468 3,206 1,692 1,515
Degree or equivalent 109 83 26 175 119 56
Higher education below degree 118 44 74 148 66 83
GCE A level or equivalent 429 348 80 697 501 196
GCE O level or equivalent 304 111 193 514 205 309
CSE below grade 1 125 53 72 190 83 107
Other qualification 102 34 68 229 114 115
No formal qualification 1,615 739 877 1,215 585 630
North West
All4 3,797 1,967 1,830 3,858 2,018 1,840
Degree or equivalent 193 148 45 253 170 82
Higher education below degree 204 81 123 209 91 118
GCE A level or equivalent 661 538 123 950 694 256
GCE O level or equivalent 420 152 268 664 246 418
CSE below grade 1 142 52 90 194 88 107
Other qualification 138 43 95 268 124 144
No formal qualification 1,671 693 978 1,282 584 698
Wales
All4 1,621 842 779 1,721 899 822
Degree or equivalent 75 56 19 96 63 33
Higher education below degree 85 26 59 97 32 65
GCE A level or equivalent 251 209 42 355 256 99
GCE O level or equivalent 191 71 119 302 109 193
CSE below grade 1 61 24 37 87 43 44
Other qualification 61 19 43 130 68 62
No formal qualification 732 322 410 640 318 323
Scotland
All4 3,021 1,552 1,469 3,132 1,624 1,508
Degree or equivalent 161 113 48 225 140 85
Higher education below degree 143 44 100 199 68 131
GCE A level or equivalent 724 547 177 1,024 692 331
GCE O level or equivalent 301 98 203 457 182 275
CSE below grade 1 36 1 27 18 1 10
Other qualification 95 27 68 148 66 82
No formal qualification 1,274 507 766 1,034 452 582

Sources: 1979 final and 1989 preliminary LFS estimates. 1 Less than 10,000 in cell: estimate not shown. 2 The upper age limit is 64 for males and 59 for females. 3 Preliminary estimates (1989 only). 4 Includes persons not stating highest qualification held, and for 1979 only, all persons in full time education and all males aged 60 to 64 (who were not asked about their highest qualification levels).