Statistics

Distribution of Total Manpower, Britain

 

'000 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945
Total working population
Males 14,476 14,656 15,104 15,222 15,141 15,032 14,901 14,881
Females 4,997 5,094 5,572 6,110 6,915 7,253 7,107 6,768
Total 19,473 19,750 20,676 21,332 22,056 22,285 22,008 21,649
                 
Total in Armed Forces and Auxiliary Services
Males 385 480 2,218 3,278 3,784 4,300 4,500 4,653
Females - - 55 105 307 461 467 437
Total 385 480 2,273 3,383 4,091 4,761 4,967 5,090
                 
Registered insured unemployed
Males 1,325 1,013 434 100 61 44 40 68
Females 385 257 211 98 26 16 14 35
Total 1,710 1,270 645 198 87 60 54 103
                 
Ex-members of H.M. Forces not yet in employment
Males - - - - - 13 14 27
Females - - - - - 7 6 13
Total - - - - - 20 20 40
                 
Total in civil employment
Males 12,766 13,163 12,452 11,844 11,296 10,675 10,347 10,133
Females 4,612 4,837 5,306 5,907 6,582 6,769 6,620 6,283
Total 17,378 18,000 17,758 17,751 17,878 17,444 16,967 16,416
                 
Agriculture and fishing 949 950 925 981 1,002 1,047 1,048 1,041
Mining and quarrying 849 873 886 820 823 818 813 799
Metals, engineering, vehicles and shipbuilding 2,590 2,812 3,198 3,753 4,372 4,659 4,496 3,899
Chemicals, explosives, paints, oils, etc. 276 294 361 487 618 574 515 447
Textiles 861 1,002 1,074 871 723 669 635 634
Clothing, boots and shoes 717 752 748 674 550 493 455 481
Food, drink and tobacco 640 654 621 597 567 519 508 518
Cement, bricks, pottery, glass, etc. 271 265 220 211 188 170 159 15
Leather, wood, paper, etc. 844 859 725 614 573 539 536 555
Other manufactures 164 177 181 190 163 123 129 127
Building and civil engineering 1,264 1,310 1,064 1,043 893 726 623 722
Gas, water and electricity supply 240 242 213 214 214 200 193 196
Transport and shipping 1,225 1,233 1,146 1,194 1,217 1,176 1,237 1,252
Distributive trades 2,882 2,887 2,639 2,332 2,173 2,009 1,927 1,958
Commerce, banking, insurance and finance 414 413 370 358 317 282 268 264
National and Local Government 1,386 1,385 1,448 1,636 1,728 1,786 1,809 1,903
Civil Defence, Fire Service and Police 80 345 383 384 323 282 127
Miscellaneous Services 1,806 1,812 1,594 1,393 1,373 1,331 1,334 1,334

 

Notes:

(1) All figures at June of each year.

Source: Statistical Digest of the War: History of the Second World War.

Last modified: 10 December 2022