Employment Mr. Willetts To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the size of the (a) working age and (b) economically active population in each of the last 30 years, broken down by gender. John Healey The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply. Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 1 May 2007: The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the working age population and the economically active population over the last thirty years. 1 am replying in her absence. (134616) The attached table gives the working age population by gender from 1978 to 2005 which are based on mid-year population estimates. Mid-2005 population estimates are the latest available. The table also shows the numbers and rates of economically active people of working age by gender for the three months ending February of each year. The ONS uses the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to measure economic activity and this data is seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty The LFS publishes numbers of economic activity each month in the Labour Market First Release, in summary table 1. The latest Release can be found at: http ://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=8292 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Thousand and percentage | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Working age population2 Mid year estimates (Thousand)|Economically active3 (Thousand)|Economic activity rates4 (Percentage)| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |All persons|Men|Women|All persons|Men|Women|All persons|Men|Women| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1978 |33,172|17,311|15,861|25,542|15,686|9,856|78.4|92.5|63.2| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1979 |33,436|17,423|16,013|25,713|15,669|10,045|78.3|91.8|63.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1980 |33,607|17,539|16,068|25,923|15,676|10,247|78.4|91.2|64.5| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1981 |33,780|17,646|16,134|26,157|15,809|10,347|78.6|91.3|64.8| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1982 |33,916|17,735|16,181|26,067|15,715|10,353|77.9|90.2|64.6| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1983 |34,160|17,891|16,269|25,857|15,575|10,282|76.9|88.7|63.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1984 |34,416|18,051|16,365|26,477|15,709|10,768|78.1|88.7|66.5| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1985 |34,586|18,105|16,481|26,896|15,837|11,059|78.8|88.9|67.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1986 |34,725|18,142|16,583|27,063|15,793|11,269|78.9|88.4|68.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1987 |34,877|18,194|16,683|27,302|15,795|11,507|79.3|88.1|69.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1988 |34,983|18,232|16,751|27,633|15,925|11,708|79.9|88.6|70.5| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1989 |35,079|18,268|16,811|27,886|15,974|11,912|80.4|88.7|71.5| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1990 |35,147|18,300|16,847|28,049|16,032|12,016|80.7|88.8|71.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1991 |35,197|18,303|16,894|28,002|15,953|12,049|80.4|88.2|71.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1992 |35,206|18,288|16,918|27,636|15,730|11,906|79.2|87.0|70.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1993 |35,208|18,270|16,938|27,505|15,580|11,925|78.8|86.2|70.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1994 |35,256|18,267|16,989|27,405|15,456|11,949|78.5|85.6|70.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1995 |35,366|18,317|17,049|27,312|15,357|11,956|78.1|84.9|70.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1996 |35,498|18,375|17,123|27,533|15,411|12,123|78.4|85.0|71.4| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1997 |35,624|18,428|17,196|27,651|15,394|12,257|78.5|84.7|71.9| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998 |35,746|18,486|17,260|27,683|15,394|12,289|78.3|84.4|71.8| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999 |35,928|18,582|17,346|28,005|15,503|12,502|78.8|84.7|72.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000 |36,138|18,685|17,453|28,141|15,538|12,603|78.8|84.4|72.8| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001 |36,406|18,827|17,579|28,312|15,631|12,681|78.8|84.3|72.8| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |36,622|18,945|17,677|28,407|15,658|12,749|78.5|83.9|72.7| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003 |36,828|19,068|17,760|28,606|15,750|12,856|78.6|83.9|73.0| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 |37,064|19,210|17,854|28,821|15,843|12,978|78.7|83.8|73.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005 |37,368|19,390|17,978|29,069|15,950|13,119|78.8|83.7|73.6| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2006 |5—|5—|5—|29,022|15,952|13,071|78.6|83.6|73.3| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2007 |5—|5—|5—|28,9.95|15,936|13,059|78.5|83.5|73.2| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 Men aged 16 to 64 and women age 16 to 59.2 Mid-year population estimates. It should be noted that 2005 are the latest available population estimates.3 December-February LFS seasonally adjusted estimate.4 Economically active as a percentage of all persons of working age. Economic activity rates are based on LFS household population estimates, not mid-year population estimates,5 Estimates not available.Source:ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Mid-year population estimates| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------