I. & II.—Occupations of the People.

These two Charts relate to the estimated numbers of persons occupied in certain manual labour groups ^* of trades in the United Kingdom. The figures in both Charts have been compiled by the Board of Trade from materials contained in the Tables of Occupations published in the Census Reports of the United Kingdom.

The first Chart shows the estimated number of persons occupied in fourteen groups of trades at the time of the Census of 1901. The groups shown are Agriculture; Domestic Service; Conveyance of Men, Goods, and Messages; Metal, Engineering, and Shipbuilding Trades; Clothing Trades; Textile Trades; Building Trades; Mining and Quarrying Industry; Food, Drink, and Tobacco Trades; Woodworking and Furnishing Trades; Printing, Bookbinding and Paper Trades; Brick, Pottery, Glass, and Chemical Trades; General Labour and other Undefined and Miscellaneous Trades. The total numbers occupied, distinguishing males and females, are shown in the first column of the Chart, the second column showing the numbers of persons of 20 years of age and above, and the third column the numbers under 20, in each of the fourteen groups of trades.

It will be seen that the leading industries for men are Agriculture, the Transport trades (conveyance of men, goods, etc.), the Metal trades, Building and Mining and Quarrying; and for women Domestic Service and the Clothing and Textile industries.

The second Chart shows, for seven principal groups of occupations, the fluctuations in the estimated numbers occupied in the different census years from 1801 to 1901. These seven groups are Agriculture; Female Domestic Service; Textile Trades; Metal, Engineering, and Shipbuilding Trades; Building Trades; Mining and Quarrying; and Tailoring and Boot and Shoe Trades.

The decline in the numbers occupied in Agriculture is shown, as also the increase in the Building, Mining and Quarrying and Metal trades, in each of which the numbers occupied have advanced by about 100 per cent, in the period covered. It should be remembered, however, that the changes in the number of persons occupied in an industry do not in themselves necessarily form a correct index to the progress of that industry over a series of years. Thus, in considering the decrease in the page break numbers occupied in the textile trades, and the comparatively stationary position of the numbers occupied in the tailoring and boob and shoe trades, it should be borne in mind that the productive capacity of those industries has greatly increased in the period under review, owing to the great improvements which have been made in the methods of manufacture.

Some part of the decrease in the number of Female Domestic Servants (indoor) as between 1891 and 1901 is due to a change in classification in the Census Reports, but the extent of the difference cannot be estimated.