The number of people in Swindon claiming out of work benefit has fallen by 27% since 2010 – news which has been welcomed by North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson.
Figures released by the independent Office of National Statistics also showed that in the South West there were more than 350,000 more people in work since 2010, bringing the total number of people employed in the area to 2,847,907.
Nationally the employment rate stands at 76.1% - a joint record high with 32.81m people in work. The number of disabled people in work is at a record high of 4.1m – an increase of 1.9m since 2014. The female employment rate is at a record high of 72.1%, with women accounting for three quarters of the annual employment growth.
The ONS figures show that unemployment has halved since 2010, to stand at a 3.9% . The proportion of women aged 16-64 who were neither working or looking for work is now at a record low.
Wages have risen 3.9% compared with a year earlier, up 1.8% when taking inflation into account - the fastest wage growth for 11 years.
Justin Tomlinson said: ““These figures show that the Conservatives are providing a solid foundation on which to build Britain’s economic future.
More people are in work than ever before, and with average wages increasing ahead of prices, pay cheques can go further.
Labour can’t be trusted to handle the economy – just like last time, they’d leave us with more debt, higher taxes and fewer jobs, hitting ordinary working people and hurting the people they claim to help.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women and Equalities, Amber Rudd said:
“More people in work than ever before means more households across the UK are earning a regular income, and millions more receiving a pay boost thanks to wages rising at their fastest in a decade – outstripping inflation for a 17th month in a row.
“Our workforce increasingly reflects our vibrant society, with a record number of women in employment while the number out of work falls to an all-time low.
“This week many young people will receive their A level results and begin their career journey. They should know that they are entering a workforce that is flourishing and full of opportunity and I hope all young people, especially women, feel empowered to flourish in every role in every sector.”
