The charts illustrate changes in the UK steel industry according to the workforce and values from 1970 to 2000.
Overall, all categories, except for import values, underwent a downward trend over the reported period. Furthermore, the total UK demand for steel continuously exceeded the production, leading to a rise in the importation of this product since 1970.
Focusing on the labour force of this industry, there was a drop by more than half from 50 thousand in 1970 to roughly 20 thousand workers in 1990. The figures slightly decreased and hit a trough of approximately 17 thousand people in the final year.
In 1970, the total steel demand stood at about 200 thousand tonnes, which halved to nearly 100 thousand tonnes in the year 2000. Similarly, the volume of steel produced by domestic businesses significantly decreased by about 90 thousand tonnes. In contrast, the UK steel import quantities witnessed a considerable growth from nearly zero in 1970 to a peak of 75 thousand tonnes in the period’s conclusion.