Print jobs hold up well, say labour stats

Employment levels in the pulp, paper, publishing and printing industries have held up better than most manufacturing sectors in the last five years, a new study has revealed.

In the five years from March 1998, manufacturing jobs in the pulp, paper, publishing and printing industries fell by 6% to 440,000, according to research carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

However, the sector fared far better than the leather and leather products industry, where employment fell by 53% to just 17,000 during the same period. Manufacturing employment also fell 46% in the textile and textile products sector, and by 24% in electrical and optical equipment.

We have always said that the industry has done its best to improve its competitiveness, and I think these statistics show that, said the Confederation of Paper Industries director of external affairs, Kathy Bradley.

The October 2003 issue of Labour Market Trends showed that a total of 700,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost in five years.

Story by Andy Scott