To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals of working age not in full-time education were economically inactive in each year since 1997; and what this figure was as a proportion of the working age population in each case. (152597)

I have been asked to reply.

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

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 5 September 2007:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the levels and proportions of working age economically inactive people who are not in full-time education. (152597)

The attached table shows the numbers and percentages of economically inactive people of working age who are not in full-time education. The estimates cover the three month period ending December each year from 1997-2006, and are not seasonally adjusted. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000. The estimates in the attached table are from the detailed LFS dataset which are currently weighted to population totals consistent with the population estimates first published in spring 2003. They are not directly comparable with the estimates in the monthly Labour Market First Release.

Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.