Next Government must invest in industry or communities will pay the price. The UK has lost almost 600,000 manufacturing jobs in the past decade, a new investigation by GMB has shown.
Figures show that 599,100 jobs in the sector disappeared between 2007 and 2017, a massive fall of 17%. Between them the lost jobs have meant that £2.3 billion less has been paid in manufacturing wages in real-terms. In 2007, the UK supported 3.5 million permanent and temporary manufacturing jobs – more than 12% of the all British employment.
By 2016, that had slumped to just 2.9 million, or 9.2% of the total. Every region in the UK has experienced a decline in manufacturing employment. Three badly affected regions – London, Scotland and the North West – have lost 27%, 22% and 21% of their manufacturing jobs respectively. The worst affected region by total job losses – the North West – lost 93,500 manufacturing jobs. [See note 2 for job losses by region and constituency. The GMB’s Making It campaign is calling on the Government in invest in manufacturing and protect manufacturing jobs during Brexit.
Jude Brimble, GMB National Secretary for Manufacturing, said: “We are at a critical crossroads in UK manufacturing. “The right support for our manufacturing sector would accelerate growth, address the skills gap and provide much provide a much-needed boost to technology, production and exports. A robust manufacturing base post-Brexit is vital for the UK economy, workers and local communities.”
“The continuing decline in jobs is a result in this Government’s failure to deliver the certainty the industry needs. It begs the question; how does this add up to May’s commitments that ‘the UK’s post-Brexit arrangements must protect people’s jobs and security’? This is why GMB Union’s Making It campaign calls for a rethink on Government procurement, investment for skills and jobs across manufacturing and for a Brexit deal that delivers for workers.”
