To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those classified as economically inactive were (a) students and (b) on long-tern sickness leave in each of the last 10 years. (302353)

I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many of those classified as economically inactive were (a) students and (b) on long-term sickness leave in each of the last 10 years. (302353)

Estimates of economic inactivity are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). In accordance with the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, people are classed as economically inactive if they are neither in employment nor unemployed. All people on sickness leave are classified as in employment and arc therefore not economically inactive. The table provided contains estimates of the number of economically inactive people who report that their main reason for being inactive is that they are a student and also those inactive people who report that they have a long-term sickness or disability.

Estimates of the reasons for inactivity are not available for all people aged 16 and over. Therefore the estimates provided are for working age people only, consistent with the LFS aggregates published in Table 13 of the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. The historical figures in Table 13 are published in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin Historical Supplement which is available on the National Statistics website via the following link:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/OnlineProducts/LMS_FR_HS.asp

As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of LFS aggregate estimates are provided in the Statistical Bulletin.