Jobs
2.4% rise in public admin, education and health
Quarterly changes in the number of people employed, United Kingdom
The number of jobs in public administration, education and health in the United Kingdom increased by 163,000 (2.4 per cent) during 2002. There was also a large increase in distribution, hotels and restaurants (105,000 or 1.5 per cent).
The largest decrease was in manufacturing where the number of jobs fell 154,000 (3.9 per cent) during the year, continuing the long-term decline in this sector.
Employment in agriculture and fishing fell by 49,000 (10.6 per cent) in 2002. The decline in this sector over recent decades has followed a series of food scares such as salmonella in eggs, BSE in cattle and most recently the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001.
Employment in the finance and business services sector also fell slightly in 2002 (by 211,000 or 0.2 per cent); but showed signs of recovery towards the end of the year.
The total number of jobs filled by men is virtually the same as the number filled by women – 12.8 million compared with 12.7 million respectively in 2002.
As in previous years, men suffered more than women from the decline in manufacturing jobs. Male employment in this sector fell 105,000 (3.7 per cent) in 2002, compared with a fall of 48,000 (4.4 per cent) in female employment.
The growth in jobs in the public administration, education and health sector in 2002 benefited both sexes, but the growth was faster in female employment. In the finance and business services sector, while male employment declined in 2002, female employment increased.
Financial and business services accounted for about one in five jobs in the UK (almost 5.7 million) at the end 2002, compared with little more than one in ten in 1981. This sector saw the largest increase in jobs between 1981 and 2002, part of the post-war growth of service industries and decline in manufacturing. Manufacturing jobs totalled 3.8 million at the end of 2002 compared with 6.2 million in 1981.
Men and women still follow very different career paths. About a quarter of female employees carry out administrative or secretarial work. Men are twice as likely as women to be managers and senior officials, and far more likely to be in skilled trades. Similar proportions of men and women work in associate professional and technical occupations, such as computer programmers, technicians and nurses.
Source:
All industry employment figures taken from Office for National Statistics Workforce Jobs.
Notes: Changes over 2002 compare quarter 4 2001 with quarter 4 2002.
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