North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has welcomed news that employment is at a record high.
Currently the employment rate stands at 75.6% – the highest since comparable records began in 1971. This latest record marks the 17th time the employment record has been broken since 2010.
The number of people in full time employment is also at a record high, and a staggering 97% of the increase in employment in the last year has come from permanent work.
Elsewhere, the number of people in employment has increased by 3.3 million since 2010, and employment among ethnic minority groups has risen by over 1 million since 2010.
With over one and a half million more women in work since 2010, the female employment rate is at a new record high of 71.2%.
Wages also rose by 2.9% in the three months to March, meaning they are now rising above inflation – which is at 2.5%.
Locally, there are 10,800 more people in work across Swindon since 2010.
Figures also show:
- The number of disabled people in work has risen by over 830,000 over the last four years
- Youth unemployment has fallen by 43.4% since 2010
- The UK has the 3rd highest employment rate in the G7
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “Since taking office in 2010 we have worked hard to undo the damage Labour had inflicted on the economy – which saw unemployment rise by 1 million. We’ve introduced the National Living Wage, cut taxes for over 30 million people, introduced free childcare and implemented a modern Industrial Strategy to create better, well-paying jobs. These latest figures show that our efforts are paying off, and with wages rising faster than inflation, people are beginning to feel the benefit of more money in their pockets; another turning point as we build a stronger, fairer economy.”
