Reporting back: Unemployment statistics

Providing more good jobs for Norwich is part of Chloe’s 6 priorities for Norwich North.  In her absence whilst she is on maternity leave, her office is pleased to share the following information with you.

 

Figures released this week by the Office for National Statistics show that there are a record number of people in work, including a record number of women and disabled people. These figures show that in the East there are 3,135,470 people in work – meaning that since 2010, 391,581 more people have been able to access the security of a job.

 

In Norwich North the number of people who are claiming out-of-work benefits has fallen by 961 since 2010 – an overall reduction of 41%. Chloe works hard through her campaign Norwich for Jobs to help young people into employment having helped over 1,000 young people into work.

 

The key information the figures show is that;

 

·         Employment: There are 32.81 million people in work, up 425,000 over the last year and up by 3.76 million since 2010.

·         Employment rate: Since 2010 the employment rate has gone up by 5.9 points and up 0.6 points over the past year making it 76.1%.

·         Unemployment: Unemployment is down to 1.33 million falling by 33,000 over the last year and by 1.18 million since 2010.

·         Unemployment rate: Is down to 3.9% and has been halved from its 2010 level of 8.0%.

·         Women in work: Is at a record high of 15.55 million with 1.90 million more women in work since 2010 and the employment rate for women at a record high of 72.1%.

·         Youth unemployment: Has been halved since 2010 with 437,000 fewer young people out of work.

·         Disabled people: The number of disabled people in work is at a record high of 4.1 million. There are over 1 million more disabled people in work since 2014.

·         BAME employment: Is up by 1.1 million since 2010 and is currently at 3.9 million.

Alongside this the latest data also shows that wages have increased by 3.9% - growing by 1.9% after adjusting for inflation and this combined with the increased personal allowance to £12,5000 a year means that people are earning more and paying less tax allowing them to keep more of their own money.

 

These figures matter because they show that more people than ever before have the economic independence that a job brings and can reach their full potential, with the Resolution Foundation finding that the proportion of jobs that are low paid is at its lowest level since 1986. Furthermore, with wages rising at their fastest pace in 11 years people’s pay packets can go further so that families can spend them on the things that are most important to them.

 

However, the Government understands that more must be done to realise the benefits of Brexit and deliver a strong economy to fund the public services we all rely on. Too many communities have been left behind, so the Government is committing to go further to invest in infrastructure and skills so that everyone has a fair chance to get on in life wherever they live and whatever their background.

 

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid said:

 

“Every person deserves the chance to succeed and provide for their families through a steady income. I’m pleased to see 2.9 million more people are in work every day since 2010, wages are rising at their fastest in more than a decade, and people across the UK are taking home more of what they earn.

 

“Thanks to the hard work of the British people and the government, we can further invest in our public services. And today’s figures are another sign that despite the challenges across the global economy, the fundamentals of the British economy are strong as we prepare to leave the EU.”

 

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.”