§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the working age population is economically active; and what the figures have been for the last 30 years for which figures are available. [179726]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Laurence Robertson, dated 23 June 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about economic activity. (179726)
1407WThe attached table gives estimates of economic activity rates (persons employed or unemployed expressed as a percentage of the total population of working age) for the 3 month periods ending May each year from 1984 to 2004. Information is not available for earlier periods on a consistent basis. These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates are seasonally adjusted.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
Economic activity rates1 of working age population2, United Kingdom, 1984 to 2004 (three month period ending May of each year) Percentage of working age population2 economically active 1984 78.1 1985 78.6 1986 78.7 1987 79.1 1988 79.8 1989 80.3 1990 80.5 1991 80.0 1992 79.1 1993 78.6 1994 78.5 1995 78.2 1996 78.4 1997 78.5 1998 78.3 1999 78.7 2000 78.9 2001 78.6 2002 78.6 2003 78.7 20043 78.6 1Seasonally adjusted. 2Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59. 3Three months ending April 2004.