Largest employment rise in over 4 decades
14 May 2014 01:19 PM
Employment has seen the largest quarterly rise
since records began and the unemployment rate has fallen again to a new 5-year
low.
Employment has seen the largest quarterly rise since
records began over 40 years ago and the unemployment rate has fallen again to a
new 5-year low, according to figures published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) this morning.
The
number of people in a job rose 283,000 in the last 3 months – the largest
quarterly increase in 43 years. Employment increased by 722,000 on the year
– almost the population of Leeds – meaning a record 30.43 million
people are in work. Creating jobs and supporting enterprise as the economy
grows are central to the government’s long-term plan to help hardworking
people secure their future.
The
number of unemployed young people fell by 48,000 in the last 3 months, and has
been falling now for the last 8 months. Youth unemployment excluding those in
full-time education is now at its lowest level since 2008.
Minister for Employment Esther McVey
said:
As
the recovery takes hold, more people are able to get a job or set up their own
business and become the employers of tomorrow. Each and every person who has
made a new start or hired someone new is helping to make Britain a more
prosperous and confident place to be.
We
will continue to support those in and out of work who want to get on and fulfil
their ambitions for a more secure future.
This month’s figures also show that UK nationals
made up over three-quarters of the rise in employment in the last
year.
Unemployment fell by 133,000 in the last 3 months, with
the unemployment rate falling again – down to 6.8% – the lowest it
has been since early 2009. Long-term unemployment also fell, down by 32,000 in
the last 3 months and down by 89,000 on year.
The
number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) fell by 25,100 last
month and is down 399,600 on year. The number of people claimingJSA for
more than 12 months fell by 93,200 on the year – the largest annual fall
since 1998. The number of young people claiming JSA has been falling
for the last 23 months.
Job
vacancies rose again, up 116,000 over the past year bringing the number of
vacancies in the UK economy to 628,000.
Through our network of over 700 Jobcentres, work coaches
up and down the country are successfully helping people to improve their skills
and experience so they can move off benefits and into a job.
Background to labour market statistics: May
2014
This month’s Labour Force Survey covers January
2014 to March 2014. The claimant count is for April 2014 and the vacancy count
for February 2014 to April 2014.
The
number of people in work rose this quarter:
- 30.43 million people were in work in January to March
2014
- the
employment level rose 283,000 on the previous quarter and 722,000 on the
year
- the
employment rate is 72.7%, up 0.6 points on the quarter and up 1.3 points on the
year
International Labour Organization (ILO) unemployment
fell this quarter:
- 2.21 million people were ILO unemployed in the
January to March 2014 quarter, down 133,000 on the previous quarter and 309,000
on the year
- the ILO unemployment rate is 6.8%, down 0.4
points on the quarter and down 1.0 points on the year
The
level of economic inactivity is down on the quarter and on the
year:
- the
economic inactivity level is 8.85 million in the January to March 2014 quarter,
down 85,000 on the previous quarter and 155,000 on the year
- the
economic inactivity rate is 21.9%, down 0.2 points on the quarter and down 0.5
points on the year
- excluding students, inactivity as a share of the 16 to
64 population is 16.3%, down 0.2 points on the quarter and down 0.5 points on
the year
The
number of people claiming one of the main out-of-work benefits is
falling:
- claimant unemployment was 1.12 million in April 2014,
down 25,100 on the month and down 399,600 on the year
- the
claimant count rate is 3.3%, down 0.1 points on the month and down 1.2 points
on the year
- in
the year to November 2013, the number claiming incapacity benefits fell 43,600
to 2.46 million. The most recent provisional figure for March 2013 suggests the
caseload has risen slightly since then
- in
the year to November 2013, the number of lone parents on income support fell
25,000 to 485,000 – the provisional figure for March 2013 is
480,000
The
number of redundancies rose and unfilled vacancies rose on the
quarter:
- there were 126,000 redundancies in January to March
2014, up 15,000 on the previous quarter but down 14,000 on the
year
- ONS’s vacancy survey estimates an average of
628,000 unfilled vacancies in the 3 months to April 2014, up 45,000 on the
previous quarter and 116,000 on the year
Total weekly pay in March 2014 was up by 1.7% over the
year and growth in regular weekly pay, excluding bonuses, was up by 1.3% on the
year.
Universal Credit experimental
statistics
The Universal Credit
experimental statistics are also out today.
Contact Press Office
Media enquiries for this press release: 020 3267
5161
Follow DWP on: