§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population of working age was in work in each of the last 30 years. [110689]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Frank Field, dated 6 May 2003:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment rates. I am replying in his absence. (110689)
The attached table gives the information requested for the three month periods ending May of each year from 1984 to 2002. The latest available estimates, for the three month period ending February 2003 are also given. These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are seasonally adjusted. This information is not available on a consistent basis for prior to 1984. 796W
Employment rates1 for people of working2 age—United Kingdom, spring and winter quarters Seasonally adjusted Percentage Employment rates1 for people of working2 age—United Kingdom, spring and winter quarters Seasonally adjusted Percentage Spring 1984 68.8 1985 69.6 1986 69.7 1987 70.4 1988 72.7 1989 74.5 1990 74.9 1991 73.2 1992 71.2 1993 70.3 1994 70.7 1995 71.2 1996 71.8 1997 72.7 1998 73.3 1999 73.7 2000 74.4 2001 74.6 2002 74.4 Winter 2002–03 74.6 1Working age people in employment as a percentage of the working age population. 2Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59. Note:
These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have been interim-adjusted to take account of the recent Census 2001 results.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey