Key economic indicators

KEY INDICATORS INFLATION +2.5% AVERAGE EARNINGS +3.7%

Earnings and pay

Whole economy Manufacturing Services Private sector Public sector LRD pay deals*

September 2004 (r) 4.1% 3.0% 4.2% 4.0% 4.5% 3.0%

October 4.3% 3.4% 4.5% 4.2% 4.8% 3.0%

November 4.5% 2.9% 4.6% 4.4% 4.7% 3.3%

December 4.2% 3.7% 4.2% 4.0% 4.4% 3.5%

January 2005 3.9% 3.1% 4.0% 3.8% 4.7% 3.4%

February 5.6% 3.6% 6.3% 5.9% 4.6% 3.4%

March 4.0% 3.9% 4.3% 4.0% 4.2% 3.4%

April 4.2% 3.0% 4.5% 4.0% 4.9% 3.5%

May 4.1% 1.9% 4.7% 3.3% 7.7% 3.5%

June 4.0% 2.9% 4.3% 3.9% 4.3% 3.5%

July (r) 4.5% 3.4% 4.9% 4.6% 4.4% 3.4%

August (r) 4.0% 4.3% 4.0% 4.0% 4.3% 3.3%

September (p) 3.7% 4.6% 3.4% 3.6% 3.9% 3.4%

Headline rate for September** 4.1% 4.1% 4.1% 4.0% 4.2%

All figures except "LRD pay deals" are annual rises in average weekly earnings in Great Britain, seasonally adjusted, as monitored by National Statistics.

* The midpoint of pay settlements for the latest three months as monitored on the Labour Research Department's Payline database.

** The average of the earnings increase figures for the latest three months compared with a year earlier.

(r) revised (p) provisional

Retail prices

Retail prices index* Annual increase in RPI Annual increase in consumer prices index

August 2004 187.4 3.2% 1.3%

September 188.1 3.1% 1.1%

October 188.6 3.3% 1.2%

November 189.0 3.4% 1.5%

December 189.9 3.5% 1.6%

January 2005 188.9 3.2% 1.6%

February 189.6 3.2% 1.6%

March 190.5 3.2% 1.9%

April 191.6 3.2% 1.9%

May 192.0 2.9% 1.9%

June 192.2 2.9% 2.0%

July 192.2 2.9% 2.3%

August 192.6 2.8% 2.4%

September 193.1 2.7% 2.5%

October 193.3 2.5% 2.3%

* Jan 1987 = 100

Source: National Statistics

Full-time average weekly earnings by occupation

All workers £523.30

All male £575.80

All female £440.40

Managers £786.50

Professionals £711.20

Associate professionals* £555.70

Admin & secretarial £356.70

Skilled/craft £437.70

Services** £303.40

Sales £288.50

Operatives £400.50

Other manual jobs*** £318.40

* Associate professionals include technicians, nurses, police, firefighters, media/PR workers, train drivers, legal and finance workers and sales reps.

** Services means personal service occupations such as care workers, travel assistants, hairdressers, caretakers.

*** Other manual jobs refers to "elementary" occupations including farm workers, labourers, dockers, postal workers, porters, waiters, cleaners.