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