This report examines the changes in employment and production values within the UK steel industry from 1970 to 2000, as illustrated by two line graphs.
Overall, the analysis reveals a significant decline in employment within the UK steel sector, coinciding with a decreasing trend in domestic production, while imports of steel markedly increased during the same timeframe.
The first graph detailing employment status indicates a pronounced decrease in the workforce, dropping from 500,000 individuals in 1970 to a mere 10,000 by 2000. This trend reflects a loss of over 80% of jobs within the industry, highlighting the sector’s significant contraction. In contrast, the second graph elucidates changes in production volumes; UK steel production fell from approximately 135,000 tonnes in 1970 to 50,000 tonnes by 2000. This decline mirrors the sharp reduction in employment, suggesting a direct correlation between job losses and decreased output.
Conversely, the analysis of steel imports illustrates an upward trajectory, which began at 10,000 tonnes in 1970 and escalated to 70,000 tonnes by 2000. Simultaneously, the total demand for steel in the UK also experienced fluctuations, beginning at 150,000 tonnes in 1970, peaking at 165,000 tonnes in 1980, and subsequently decreasing to 120,000 tonnes by the year 2000. The import figures, therefore, highlight the growing reliance on foreign steel in light of dwindling domestic production, indicating a shift in the market dynamics of the UK steel industry over the three decades.