The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the rate of average earnings growth was in (a) North West Cambridgeshire constituency, (b) each local authority area in the East of England and (c) England in each of the last 10 years. (289299)
ONS's primary indicator of average earnings growth is the Average Earnings Index. As this does not produce regional estimates, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings has been used (ASHE). The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of information on the levels of earnings in the United Kingdom. It is a sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PA YE) schemes.
The sample sizes for more detailed geographies can be small and this affects the quality of the resulting estimates, which are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
I attach a table showing the annual percentage change in median gross weekly earnings for the specified geographies for full-time and part-time employees in each year since 1998.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 England 4.4 2.5 4.8 4.7 3.9 3.5 4.7 2.6 3.7 3.1 4.2 North West Cambridgeshire 5.5 4.1 -2.1 10.7 10.0 -10.5 6.5 5.3 -1.6 5.4 4.1 East of England 4.3 3.3 2.8 5.9 3.6 3.8 3.9 2.1 3.7 2.2 3.9 Luton UA 2.4 5.8 -9.3 3.2 10.8 0.2 -0.5 15.2 0.8 5.1 2.7 Peterborough UA 7.5 1.3 -1.2 7.1 6.7 3.0 5.6 2.0 6.2 4.5 2.1 Southend-on-Sea UA -2.9 8.4 -1.8 4.9 12.4 -8.6 3.1 2.1 10.2 -2.6 8.8 Thurrock UA -1.2 7.8 1.3 1.5 3.5 3.1 9.9 -3.3 6.8 -2.0 6.5 Mid Bedfordshire 0.1 3.3 4.3 5.9 6.3 13.1 -4.9 -0.6 5.1 6.4 -5.6 North Bedfordshire 6.6 0.7 6.8 -3.1 10.8 1.7 2.5 6.7 4.4 -1.6 6.0 South Bedfordshire 5.7 0.4 9.1 2.1 4.9 -2.1 1.8 0.2 12.1 -3.7 0.9 Cambridge -4.4 5.9 7.4 6.8 0.3 6.5 8.1 -0.3 0.9 3.7 4.7 East Cambridgeshire -13.0 -2.1 22.3 6.1 6.0 16.0 0.5 -1.3 0.1 12.4 -8.3 Fenland 7.6 4.6 -3.2 -5.0 -0.8 13.5 7.9 0.2 5.6 2.0 -4.3 Huntingdonshire 5.6 4.5 3.1 7.6 -1.0 8.4 5.5 3.1 -3.7 6.4 2.7 South Cambridgeshire 4.1 6.5 0.0 10.3 6.1 5.8 10.4 -4.1 10.5 -2.6 7.4 Basildon 2.1 6.9 13.5 5.6 -11.2 15.1 -1.3 2.4 1.6 6.0 -6.3 Braintree 2.3 5.1 6.5 3.5 11.8 0.2 7.9 15.1 -4.9 5.4 -5.6 Brentwood 9.4 8.0 -8.2 13.2 24.0 1.2 2.5 0.5 1.7 -2.2 9.5 Castle Point 23.7 -11.5 6.8 9.1 -19.9 17.0 -0.8 13.2 6.2 -1.0 13.0 Chelmsford 1.0 1.7 10.7 -2.7 8.2 -3.2 0.9 12.1 -2.7 6.1 3.6 Colchester 5.9 1.4 7.4 7.7 -2.5 3.8 7.3 5.3 4.6 -1.5 1.0 Epping Forest 11.2 4.2 6.5 1.6 -1.5 4.4 13.5 -0.1 6.5 4.4 9.1 Harlow -4.5 7.0 6.3 6.8 -3.0 9.1 0.1 2.3 3.7 24.8 3.9 Maldon 1.8 10.0 2.2 25.5 -8.6 3.7 5.3 -8.9 -0.7 8.0 -6.2 Rochford 1.3 11.3 2.4 2.6 -1.0 6.8 1.6 3.5 10.5 3.3 -2.3 Tendring 6.4 2.6 -6.6 -1.4 16.7 13.9 -1.4 -1.0 0.1 -5.5 6.8 Uttlesford 8.3 11.2 -10.7 19.5 -4.5 9.5 -4.1 9.0 1.9 -0.5 7.6 Broxbourne -4.5 4.5 0.3 1.9 1.3 12.4 1.8 5.6 1.3 -2.3 12.1 Dacorum 5.4 0.0 5.7 12.2 5.3 1.7 -0.1 0.8 4.9 7.3 -2.1 East Hertfordshire 6.8 3.6 5.4 13.7 3.0 1.4 3.8 2.3 -3.6 0.0 4.1 Hertsmere 9.6 3.9 0.3 1.5 9.8 -9.6 18.5 -9.0 4.5 9.3 -0.8 North Hertfordshire 11.2 0.0 3.7 8.9 2.1 5.8 5.0 1.0 1.7 3.8 6.2 St. Albans 2.2 8.3 -1.4 6.7 9.6 2.8 2.1 0.4 7.1 -2.5 8.0 Stevenage 22.3 -0.8 -8.0 10.0 0.1 18.0 -7.8 8.0 10.8 -6.8 1.2 Three Rivers 24.4 2.0 -5.6 14.7 8.2 9.2 0.9 9.5 3.6 -2.8 -7.7 Watford 3.4 0.2 5.3 2.4 -4.1 3.7 5.1 10.8 -0.9 -9.4 18.6 Welwyn Hatfield 9.3 1.5 7.8 5.5 7.3 3.2 7.9 9.3 -7.6 8.1 2.0 Breckland 3.9 4.1 6.8 2.1 -0.3 0.8 10.4 6.8 -10.9 8.8 6.2 Broadland 7.6 8.4 -2.8 7.8 -0.2 11.5 3.9 -7.9 8.7 1.6 7.0 Great Yarmouth 2.1 14.9 -3.0 5.8 5.6 2.1 2.5 6.7 1.6 9.9 0.4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk -2.8 6.1 3.8 4.8 0.1 1.7 -1.2 5.8 4.2 9.1 4.8 North Norfolk 6.5 -3.7 5.0 9.9 9.5 7.5 -6.6 -2.8 -3.1 5.8 1.1 Norwich 4.5 3.0 4.4 0.8 1.1 2.6 1.8 4.8 8.6 0.1 -0.5 South Norfolk 2.3 19.6 9.0 -0.8 0.4 -1.3 10.6 11.1 -7.2 -2.6 11.8 Babergh 6.0 2.7 3.3 5.2 8.0 -1.6 -0.9 2.1 4.7 9.4 -3.0 Forest Heath 9.7 -0.3 14.3 6.0 0.8 11.9 5.0 -12.3 1.9 8.8 7.0 Ipswich 2.1 -0.2 11.4 6.7 0.2 2.1 5.2 -0.4 15.5 1.2 11.4 Mid Suffolk 5.3 3.1 -14.3 29.4 -1.5 8.5 2.0 -1.3 6.7 -0.6 5.2 St. Edmundsbury 1.1 -0.8 7.0 9.5 -3.4 4.7 3.1 8.4 1.7 -0.7 8.9 Suffolk Coastal 3.4 0.1 2.3 5.9 8.2 5.6 2.0 0.6 6.7 6.2 2.3 Waveney -8.5 12.7 5.2 5.4 1.9 9.3 1.9 -0.7 1.9 4.0 7.4
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 England 4.1 5.1 3.9 3.5 5.2 6.2 6.6 1.4 4.1 4.2 1.7 North West Cambridgeshire x x x 31.2 x x 9.1 -8.0 4.4 -0.6 26.8 East of England 4.3 7.3 2.8 5.6 3.0 3.8 9.4 -1.0 7.2 1.8 3.0 Luton UA -4.2 22.3 -10.9 10.9 7.5 -1.5 2.8 -2.6 15.1 -0.5 -13.3 Peterborough UA 7.1 16.7 -6.9 4.7 -3.1 14.1 7.7 5.3 -4.2 9.0 9.2 Southend-on-Sea UA -4.5 10.8 2.5 7.7 -1.6 -3.7 -1.4 5.8 13.0 -1.1 1.3 Thurrock UA x x 19.1 -6.6 22.4 -13.8 9.5 1.1 4.2 11.2 6.5 Mid Bedfordshire x x x x x x x 8.0 -3.1 5.2 0.9 North Bedfordshire 5.0 3.6 10.3 14.0 -5.9 17.1 5.1 x -7.5 24.6 8.5 South Bedfordshire x x x x x x x x x x x Cambridge 0.1 9.4 -10.5 25.0 7.7 8.7 18.0 -10.8 -1.4 10.2 -0.8 East Cambridgeshire x x x x x x x x x x x Fenland x x x 2.7 -1.9 31.7 -1.9 -7.4 -7.5 13.4 2.2 Huntingdonshire 21.8 -11.9 -2.5 6.6 3.6 2.7 23.4 -12.9 3.6 -3.1 27.8 South Cambridgeshire 17.9 -11.5 7.0 6.5 -6.5 1.3 24.1 4.5 -12.4 10.2 -1.6 Basildon 15.6 21.1 13.0 7.2 -14.7 12.9 1.0 -4.6 8.8 2.9 6.0 Braintree -16.8 3.0 16.5 6.7 4.0 32.1 1.3 -2.3 -5.8 -17.5 29.5 Brentwood x x x x x x x x x x x Castle Point x x x x x 14.2 16.9 x x x x Chelmsford 17.3 12.1 10.3 -4.4 -10.4 11.9 17.6 1.8 11.9 -0.2 -5.1 Colchester -7.6 -1.4 9.8 8.2 0.8 6.5 -3.3 -3.1 7.3 3.0 0.5 Epping Forest x x x x x x 2.6 x x 21.3 14.3 Harlow x 7.9 -3.4 x x x x x x -1.1 -14.3 Maldon x x x x x x x x x x x Rochford x x x x x x x x x x x Tendring x x x x x 5.7 34.0 x x 26.9 7.4 Uttlesford x x x x x x x x x x x Broxbourne -4.4 5.7 x x x -0.1 x x 3.2 -6.6 5.3 Dacorum 23.7 -0.9 10.7 2.1 6.9 6.1 1.4 -12.6 18.0 0.8 -7.7 East Hertfordshire 30.9 -8.7 -3.1 19.1 -1.4 1.0 5.8 -1.3 13.6 -6.2 15.3 Hertsmere x x x x x -1.5 x x 17.2 -7.4 -2.7 North Hertfordshire 6.9 11.8 x x 15.7 -5.8 x -6.4 15.5 0.5 -10.4 St. Albans 10.2 x x x x 21.5 -9.7 0.4 18.6 -5.2 -3.8 Stevenage x 0.3 5.2 -8.2 x x 13.3 3.7 8.3 -10.2 -14.8 Three Rivers x x x x x x x x x x x Watford x x -3.5 -6.3 12.9 -2.4 17.5 -3.8 18.3 -3.8 32.0 Welwyn Hatfield 8.5 26.9 5.0 -7.1 5.2 x x x 5.0 7.0 -13.6 Breckland x -18.0 28.7 6.0 7.4 5.3 7.7 -7.5 13.8 4.8 -2.2 Broadland x x -22.8 18.0 1.2 14.3 15.4 -5.4 5.5 -1.5 7.5 Great Yarmouth -24.3 15.7 2.3 23.3 4.4 14.3 -3.8 7.5 9.5 -15.9 29.5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk x 13.2 x x x 16.4 1.5 -0.5 16.3 -2.5 10.0 North Norfolk x x x x x 22.8 10.5 -21.6 6.3 x x Norwich -13.7 20.2 15.0 13.2 -2.8 -12.2 14.5 -7.9 -5.4 0.3 7.7 South Norfolk x x 9.8 -2.7 17.1 11.3 4.3 -0.4 13.9 3.6 x Babergh 21.2 x x x -12.2 1.7 2.6 8.7 4.8 1.5 x Forest Heath x x x x x x x x x x 24.7 Ipswich 6.6 -5.4 16.8 -6.4 10.0 -12.1 9.3 22.5 13.4 -2.0 5.4 Mid Suffolk x x x x x x x x x 36.3 1.7 St. Edmundsbury x x x -6.8 9.5 12.6 x x -16.6 24.0 9.0 Suffolk Coastal x x x x 18.4 3.7 19.2 -7.4 17.7 15.0 -16.4 Waveney x x -8.3 -2.0 4.1 18.8 3.7 2.5 6.2 -6.0 1.2 a Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. x Growth rate not shown due to unreliable levels of earnings estimates over the two years, either in one of the years or in both. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics. 1998-2008