Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of UK jobs indirectly supported by high-tech sectors including the semiconductor industry.

According to ONS figures[1], in 2021 high and medium-high technology manufacturing sectors directly accounted for around 796,000 jobs. This is based on the OECD definition and covers the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronics (including semiconductors) and electrical equipment, machinery, and transport equipment[2].

In 2021 these industries supported in excess of 900,000 indirect jobs in other areas of manufacturing and the wider economy. This is likely an underestimate. A precise estimate is methodologically difficult as the ONS estimates indirect jobs for the individual sectors listed above and with an aggregate sector definition, such as high and medium tech manufacturing, double counting will arise where these sectors supply inputs to each other.

Within these figures, DCMS estimate there are ~24,000 people working directly across the UK semiconductor industry, which could imply in the region of 17,000 being indirectly supported elsewhere.

[1] ONS Employee jobs and ONS Self Employed Jobs.

[2] These are defined by the SIC codes 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30