Justin Tomlinson MP has welcomed the news that the number of people in work across the UK is at a record level, the rate of women in work is at the highest level since comparable records began, and that according to today’s figures there are 210,396 more people back in work in the South West since 2010.
In North Swindon the number of people claiming the key out of work benefits has fallen by a staggering 1,263 - a 62 per cent drop – since 2010.
As well as the employment continuing at a record-high, today’s figures show that the unemployment rate is holding steady, average wages are growing ahead of inflation and the number of children living in workless households is down.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "Today sees another set of record-breaking figures, with the rate of women in work at the highest since records began and the number of young people out of work down by hundreds of thousands. The number of people in North Swindon relying on the key out of work benefits has fallen by 1,263 since 2010 – a 62% drop – as businesses are able to get more people into work, helped by the decisions Conservatives have taken to strengthen our economy. But we know there is more to do to build an economy that works for everyone, and we will continue to work hard to help even more people benefit from the opportunities in our economy."
Key statistics
- Employment: 31.77 million (up 559,000 over the past year and up over 2.7 million since 2010).
- Employment rate: 74.5% (up 1.0 points over the past year and up 4.3 points since 2010).
- Unemployment: 1.63 million (down 190,000 over the past year and down 878,000 since 2010).
- Unemployment rate: 4.9 per cent (down 3.1 points since 2010).
- Claimant count (Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit not in work): 771,000 in July (down 21,300 on last year and down 723,800 since 2010).
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Wages: Pay including bonuses rose 2.3 per cent over the last year with private sector pay rose 2.4 per cent. Inflation over the same period remained low.
Other useful statistics:
- The rate of employment is 74.5% – the highest since comparable records began in 1971.
- Claimant count rate remains at 2.2% of the workforce – below pre-recession and close to the lowest since 1975.
- The unemployment rate remains at 4.9% – the lowest in over a decade.
- The female employment rate is at 69.8% – the highest since comparable records began in 1971.
- At 5.7%, the proportion of 16-24 year olds who have left full-time education and are unemployed is close to the lowest on record.
- There are over 752,000 vacancies across the country.
- Nearly 86% of 16-24 year olds are in full time study or work – close to its record high.
- Nearly 3.4 million people with a disability are now in employment – up over 360,000 over the last two years.
- Private sector employment is now at 26.4 million – up over 3 million 2010.
- Over the last year, over three quarters of the rise in employment has been from full-time work.
- Since 2010, 95% of the growth in employment has come from permanent employees or people working for themselves.
- Real wages are continuing to rise strongly.
