To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people in part-time work, (b) the proportion of the workforce in part-time work and (c) the number of people in part-time work who are seeking full-time work in each year since 1997. (173913)

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 7 January 2008:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about (a) the number of people in part-time work, (b) the proportion of the workforce in part-time work and (c) the number of people in part-time work who are seeking full-time work in each year since 1997. (173913)

The attached table gives the number and percentage of part-time people in employment. The information on people in part-time work who are seeking full-time work was provided in response to a previous PQ (ref 173892).

The LFS estimates at this detailed level are only consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003 and they do not incorporate the more recent population estimates that are used in the headline LFS series.

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.