Employment

This section contains information on employment in forestry and wood processing.

Forest Employment Survey

Tables 6.1 to 6.3 show estimates obtained from the 1998/9 employment survey (not National Statistics). The report 1998/9 Forest Employment Survey, together with more detailed regional breakdowns, is available on the Forestry Commission website.

Total employment (including self-employemt) in the forestry and primary wood processing industries in Great Britain in 1998-99 was estimated to be around 30 thousand full-time equivalents. Around one half were based in England, 36% in Scotland and 14% in Wales. 36% were employed working for primary wood processing industries, 29% for private woodland owners, 16% for forestry companies and contractors and 13% for the Forestry Commission.

Table 6.1 Employment in forestry and primary wood processing industries 1998/9
Employer¹	GB	England	Scotland	Wales
full-time equivalents
Forestry Commission	3 909	1 331	2 011	567
Private woodland owners	8 425	4 242	3 196	987
Forestry companies and contractors	4 598	2 077	2 223	298
Wood processing industries	10 628	5 581	2 917	2 130
Other employers	1 972	1 508	347	117
Total	29 532	14 739	10 694	4 099

Source: Forest Employment Survey 1998/9 (not National Statistics).

Figures include work by contractors and self-employment as well as employees.

Around 43% of employment was based in the forest, mainly in harvesting (16% of all employment), maintenance (11%) or establishment (9%). Processing accounted for the majority of non-forest employment (38% of all employment).

Table 6.2 Employment in forestry and primary wood processing by activity 1998/9
Activity	GB	England	Scotland	Wales
full-time equivalents
Forest nurseries	624	421	201	2
Establishment	2 529	1 088	1 189	252
Maintenance	3 364	1 680	1 304	380
Harvesting	4 770	2 330	1 947	493
Road construction	407	181	179	47
Other forest	982	466	372	144
Total forest	12 676	6 166	5 192	1 318

Haulage	1 061	326	593	142
Processing	11 227	5 952	3 083	2 192
Other non-forest	4 568	2 295	1 826	447
Total non-forest	16 856	8 573	5 502	2 781

Total	29 532	14 739	10 694	4 099

Source: Forest Employment Survey 1998/9 (not National Statistics).

Almost all direct workers (96%) travelled less than 20 miles to their place of employment. Contract workers were more likely to travel further, with 45% travelling more than 20 miles.

Table 6.3 Percentage of forestry workers travelling less than 20 miles to their place of employment in GB
	GB	England	Scotland	Wales
% workers
Direct workers	96	97	98	80
Contract workers	55	56	54	55
Total	71	72	68	68

Source: Forest Employment Survey 1998/9 (not National Statistics).

Figure 6.1 Travel to work distances for (a) direct and (b) contract employees in 1998/9

Source: Estimated from the Forest Employment Survey 1998/9 (not National Statistics).

Annual Business Inquiry (ABI)

The Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) includes statistics on employment broken down by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). In wood processing, SIC 20 (wood products) and SIC 21 (pulp and paper) have a much wider scope than the Forest Employment Survey, as they include primary processing of imported material and also some secondary processing. The ABI was extended to include forestry in 2001; SIC 02 (forestry) has a narrower scope than in the Forest Employment Survey, as it does not include activities like timber haulage and government administration.

Employment reported by the ABI is shown in Table 6.4 for the years 1998 to 2003 (average employment in the year). From 1998 to 2003, employment declined by more than one quarter in primary wood processing, and by a smaller proportion in secondary wood processing.

Table 6.4 Employment in Forestry and Wood Processing
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)¹	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
thousands
SIC 02: forestry	..	..	..	13	14	12
SIC 20
20.1: sawmills	13	15	17	13	13	11
20.2: wood panels	7	8	6	7	7	6
Other SIC 20: secondary products	71	67	66	70	74	70
Total SIC 20: wood products	91	90	89	90	94	87
SIC 21
21.1: pulp & paper	27	25	22	19	17	17
21.2: articles of pulp & paper	87	80	78	76	75	69
Total SIC 21: pulp & paper	114	105	99	95	93	86
Total wood processing (SIC 20 + 21)	205	195	188	185	187	173
Total primary wood processing(SIC 20.1 + 20.2 + 21.1)	47	48	45	39	37	34

Source: Annual Business Inquiry

The SIC categories shown in the table are:
SIC 02 = Forestry, logging and related services
SIC 20.1 = Sawmilling and planing of wood, impregnation of wood
SIC 20.2 = Manufacture of veneer sheets, manufacture of plywood, laminboard, particle board, fibre board and other panels and boards
Other SIC 20 = Manufacture of builders' carpentry and joinery, wooden containers, and other products of wood, straw and plaiting materials
SIC 21.1 = Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard
SIC 21.2 = Manufacture of articles of paper and paperboard
.. denotes data not available

Other studies have been commissioned to estimate the number of jobs in the wider economy (tourism, service industries, transport and so on) which depend on the existence of forestry and primary wood processing activities. Information on these studies is available from the Forestry Commission's website.

NB: Figures in the tables are individually rounded, so the constituent items may not sum to the totals given.

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