HC Deb 10 February 1994 vol 237 c413W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the weekly United Kingdom earnings figures for manufacturing shown in the November issue of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development main economic indicators adjusted to the same base date as the corresponding figures in table 18.11 of the September issue of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics"; what is the figure in the latter table; and what factors lay behind the discrepancy.

Miss Widdecombe

The weekly manufacturing earnings figures for Great Britain, compiled by the OECD from published figures and shown in the November issue of OECD main economic indicators are incorrect. The figures in the latest, January 1994 edition, accurately reflect the manufacturing earnings figures published in the monthly digest of statistics converted to a base date of 1985.

The earnings indices shown in table 18.11 of the monthly digest of statistics are the results of the monthly wages and salaries survey by the Employment Department.

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