HL Deb 10 November 2003 vol 654 cc166-7WA
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will estimate, for each year, what percentage of:

  1. (a) men; and
  2. (b) women

aged between 60 and 75 now receive income from current employment. [HL5256]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated 10 November 2003.

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the percentage of men and women aged between 60 and 75 who receive income from current employment. (HL5256)

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) classifies as in employment people aged 16 and over who have done at least one hour of paid work (as an employee or self-employed) in the week prior to their LFS interview or if they have a job that they are temporarily away from. People who do unpaid work in a family business and people on government-supported training and employment programmes are also included according to the International Labour Organisation convention. Table 1, attached below, gives the information requested, based on this definition of employment.

Table 2, attached below, gives employment rates for men and women aged 60–75, excluding unpaid family workers. Unpaid family workers are those doing unpaid work for a business they own or for a relative's business.

These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey for the twelve-month period ending August of each year from 1999 to 2003.

Table 1
Percentage of people aged 60–75 in employment: United Kingdom
Per cent
September to August All Male Female
1998–99 17.4 23.7 11.7
1999–2000 17.7 23.9 12.2
2000–01 18.0 24.1 12.5
2001–02 18.6 24.5 13.3
2002–03 19.7 26.4 13.5

SourceONS Labour Force Survey.

Note:

These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have not been interim-adjusted to take account of the Census 2001 result.

Table 2
Percentage of people aged 60–75 in employment, excluding unpaid family workers1: United Kingdom
Per cent
September to August All Male Female
1998–99 17.0 23.4 11.4
1999–2000 17.4 23.6 11.9
2000–01 17.7 23.8 12.3
2001–02 18.3 24.2 13.0
2002–03 19.4 26.2 13.2

Source: ONS Labour Force Survey.

1 People doing unpaid work for a business they own or for a relative's business.

Note:

These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have not been interim-adjusted to take account of the Census 2001 results.