100,000 more people in work

The number of people who are unemployed has fallen again and there are more people in work, according to new official statistics published today.

 

 

Minister for Employment, Mark Hoban, welcomed the figures from the Office for National Statistics which show that unemployment fell 49,000 this quarter to 2.51 million - 110,000 lower than this time last year.

Youth unemployment has also fallen by 49,000 to 963,000 and if people in full-time education are excluded from the statistics, the figure becomes 648,000.

The number of people in work has also risen by 100,000, with 29.58 million people now employed – up by over half a million compared to the same period last year.

Minister for Employment, Mark Hoban, said:

"Another rise in employment shows there are jobs out there. We'll work with people who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and help them get a job.
"Unemployment in the UK is well below levels in the Eurozone, the European Union and is lower than in the United States, showing that our welfare reforms are helping the UK compete effectively in the global market place.
"The fall in youth unemployment is particularly welcome, although we’re not complacent about the scale of the challenge still facing us.
"We’re working hard to help the long-term unemployed back into a job. That’s why we’ve committed to supporting the hardest-to-help people over a two year period through the Work Programme so that we can help them overcome their barriers to work and get them into sustainable jobs."