Chronicle Industrial Relations in the United Kingdom: March‐May 1977 STATISTICAL BACKGROUND TO THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SCENE
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8543.1977.tb01144.x |
| Date | 01 November 1977 |
| Published date | 01 November 1977 |
| Author | John Gennard |
British Journal
of
Industrial Relations
Vol. XV No.
3
Chronicle
Industrial Relations in the United Kingdom
March-May
1977
STATETICAL BACKGROUND TO THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS SCENE
The Labour Market-Great Britain
During the period under review the labour market situation developed some signs
of
a slight
improvement. On a seasonally adjusted basis in the three months January to March
1977
the
average number
of
unemployed in Great Britain decreased on average by
1,800
per month. For the
three-month period February-April the corresponding figure was
5,100
whilst for the period
March-May it was
5.500.
Seasonally adjusted
Total Percentage unemployed excluding
unemployed
(000s)
unemployed school leavers
(000s)
Month
1977 I976 I977 1976 I977 I976
March
1,328 1,235 5.8 5.4 1,277 1,173
April
1,336 1,231 5.8 5.3 1,272 1,185
1,286 1,220 5.6 5.3 1,266 1,193
May
In the three-month period March to May the number of unfilled vacancies on a seasonally
adjusted basis notified to employment offices increased on average by about
4,000
per month. This
compares with an average increase of
3,000
per month in the period August
to
October
1976.
Comparisons cannot be made with intervening periods because industrial action by some staff in
the Department of Employment meant that unfilled vacancies figures for these periods were not
collected.
Unfilled Vacancies in Great Britain for Adults
Seasonally Adjusted
(000s)
Month
1977 I976
March
156 120
May
160 118
April
157 120
Wages and Earnings
Year on year the rate
of
increase of basic weekly and basic hourly rates has continued at a
declining rate. During the period under review the major pay settlements were in dressmaking,
women’s light clothing, electricity supply, road passenger transport, the general printing industry,
provincial newspapers, and British Rail.
Indices
of
Weekly and Hourly Wage Rates and Normal Weekly
Hours
in the U.K.
(31
July
1972
=
100)
Manual Workers-All Industries and Services
Weekly wage rates Hourly wage rates
Index Percentage increase over Index Percentage increase over
I977
previous twelve months
1977
previous twelve months
March
223.8 8.3
May
225.4 7.1
April
224.5 7.5 225.1 8.3
225.9 7.6
226.8 7.1
414
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