Changing face of British industry

Victorian Oldham had more spindles than the rest of the world

It may not come as much of a shock to discover that manufacturing in Britain has shrunk over the past 100 years. Read original article

But the changes in British industry are much more substantial than that.

For example, many of the big employers in 1907, such as shipbuilders, have virtually disappeared, while food processing is now the biggest employer.

Other fascinating insights have been unearthed by the Office For National Statistics (ONS), which produced its first census of production in 1907.

Wagons out, aerospace in

Then, the massive iron and steel making and shipbuilding industries once employed about 1.4 million people.

UK MANUFACTURING IN 1907 More than seven million workers employed A quarter of women employees under 18 The biggest industries included steel, textiles and coal mining Source: ONS

Another key employer, deep coal mining, which accounted for slightly less than a quarter of Britain's total industrial production, had 837,000 wage earners - peaking at 1.2 million in 1924.

By 2002, the coal mining industry in Britain had been virtually wiped out, accounting for 1% of total production and employing 8,000 people.

In a similar vein, the motorcycle and bicycle manufacturing rose during the late 1940s and early 1950s as young people sought freedom and fun after the restrictions of World War II.

UK MANUFACTURING 2007 Three million people employed About 2.1% of women workers under 18 years old Big employers include food products and publishing Source: ONS

In 1954, employment in the industry peaked at 44,500, but has subsequently declined to the extent that only a few thousand people are needed to man these factories.

Other important industries at the time, including incandescent mantles used in gas lamps, jute for sacking and carriages and wagons, are now redundant.

Conversely, some of today's key industries, such as electronic computer production and aerospace, were not included in the 1907 census.

But by 1924, the manufacture of British aircraft employed 12,700 people, soaring to 101,000 in 2004.

Women workers

Perhaps surprisingly considering that women didn't even have the right to vote until the 1920s, the ONS data showed more females were employed in manufacturing 1907 than today, 25% compared to 23%.

But the number of young workers in production industries was much higher 100 years ago.

Food products manufacturing is the biggest employer in Britain today

In 1907, 25% of female employees were under 18, compared with 12% of male workers.

In 2007, women workers under the age of 18 had dropped to 2.1% - but still accounted for a larger proportion of the manufacturing workforce than men, with 1.7% under 18-years-old.

Information processing

Other changes include the way the information has been compiled over the years with the great advancement of technology.

"It is not clear whether machinery was available to help tabulate the 1907 results, but by 1924 punch cards and a Burroughs tabulator was being used," said Stephen Penneck, ONS director of surveys and administrative sources.

A fully computerised system was introduced for the 1963 census and the first electronic publication of the results was in 1994 on CD-Rom.

Common concerns

But a dissection of the ONS survey, which covered 77,000 businesses in 2005, showed many concerns of the past persist today.

These include fears over government intrusion, compliance costs and efficiency.

The initial purpose of the census of production was for setting import and export tariffs, according to the ONS, but after World War II it became important for monitoring the health of the war-torn economy.

It was also used for setting tax policy for businesses, a practice which also continues today.