Employment in the North West up by 96,000

A record-breaking number of people are now in work, averaging over 13,000 more people in jobs every single week over the last year, new official figures show.

Since 2010 two-thirds of the rise in employment has been in managerial, professional or associate professional occupations.

There are now a record 30.8m people in work, with the employment rate (73.0%) now back to pre-recession levels. Compared to 2010 there are over 2m more people in private sector jobs, showing that the government’s long-term economic plan to create jobs by backing businesses is working.

Employment minister Esther McVey said: “Record numbers of people in work means more people with the security of a regular wage who are better able to support themselves and their families. With the vast majority of the rise in employment over the last year being full-time, it’s clear that thanks to the government’s long-term economic plan, we are helping businesses to create the jobs that people need.

There are over half a million fewer unemployed people than there were a year ago with schemes like the government’s Work Programme contributing to the biggest annual fall in long-term unemployment in 16 years – down by 206,000.

Young PeopleYouth unemployment fell by nearly a quarter of a million over the last year. The number of 18-24 year olds claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has been falling for the last 35 months and is the lowest since the 1970s. Excluding full-time students, the number of unemployed young people is now 163,000 lower than in 2010.

International comparisonsOver the last year the UK has seen the largest growth in the employment rate and the largest fall in the unemployment rate in the G7.VacanciesToday’s figures show that vacancy numbers are now very close to pre-recession levels, having increased 25% on the year to 687,000.