The rate of decline in manufacturing jobs has been revealed in new figures showing that employment in the sector has fallen by 16 oper cent over the past five years.
The number of jobs has been cut from 4.2 million in 1998 to 3.5 million.
Manufacturing accounted for 17 per cent of all jobs in the spring of 1998 but, by this year, it had fallen to 14 per cent, according to research for the Office for National Statistics.
Around 2.6 million men have jobs with manufacturing firms, compared with just under a million women.
The biggest cutbacks over the past few years have been in textile and leather products industries, where employment fell by around half.
Other sectors where jobs have been cut included transport equipment, electrical and optical equipment, metals, chemicals and paper and printing.
Derek Simpson, general secretary of the Amicus union, said: "Not only are 10,000-12,000 manufacturing jobs being lost every week in the UK but they are being replaced by low-skilled, low-paid and insecure jobs.
"These statistics are devastating, not only for the individuals and families affected, but for the entire UK economy in the longer term." PA