North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has welcomed news that the employment rate in Britain is the highest since records began.
Employment is currently 32.21million, up 102,000 in the last three months alone and up 3 million since 2010. In Swindon, over 9,000 more people are in work today than back in May 2010.
The employment rate nationally is currently at 75.3%, the highest since records began in 1971, while the rate in Swindon is higher than this at 80.3%.
Unemployment has fallen 160,000 over the last year, down 1 million since 2010, and currently stands at 4.3% - the lowest since 1975, while youth unemployment has also fallen, with 400,000 fewer young people out of work since 2010, a fall of more than 40%. These falls since 2010 are also mirrored in Swindon.
Since 2010, over 75% of the rise in employment has been from full time work and the percentage of zero hours contracts has remained at 3% of the total number of people in work (this figure has also started to fall in recent months).
However, not only is employment rising, but wages are as well – pay before bonuses rose 2.4% in the last year.
Other encouraging statistics include:
- A million more women in work since 2010, the female employment rate remains at a record high of 70.8%
- There are now almost 3.5 million disabled people in employment. In the last three years, the number of disabled people in work has increased by nearly 600,000.
- Vacancies were at 810,000 in the three months to December 2017, up 60,000 on the year and 343,000 since 2010.
- Long-term unemployment is 384,000, 24,000 fewer than for a year earlier.
- The UK has the 3rd highest employment rate in the G7.
This is in stark contrast to figures from Labour's last time in office, in which the number of unemployed people increased by 1million.
During Labour’s last time in office, the number of people on unemployment benefit rose by 82%, and youth unemployment increased by 44%.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “We have worked hard to stimulate the economy and allow businesses to invest, grow and create more jobs. This approach is clearly working, with many more people now working and contributing more to the economy.”
