Worcester’s MP, Robin Walker, has welcomed another strong set of job figures for the city with unemployment figures down from last month and back below 1,000. The total figure for unemployment was 995, down from 1,015 in May. These were the last set of figures before the EU referendum. The total number of claimants is 81 lower than one year ago and 25 lower than last month. The youth unemployment figure remains at 220, 45 lower than one year ago.
Nationally, the UK unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9%, the lowest since July 2005, according to official figures. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that more people are in work than ever before and wages are still rising – good news for Britain’s families.
The number of people in work is now at record high of 31.7 million and the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in over a decade.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Damian Green said:
“This remarkable set of figures shows that there are more people in work than at any other point in our history, which is fantastic news as we build a Britain that works for everybody, not just the privileged few.”
“We’ve entered a period of significant change, but when it comes to our jobs market we’re in a position of strength, with over 2.6 million more people in work than there were in 2010, the number of workless households cut to an all-time low, 750,000 vacancies in the economy and wages rising too.”
Commentating on the figures, Robin said:
“These are another good set of figures showing that Worcester’s economy is strong and we are out performing the core performance of the UK as a whole. Following the referendum I know that businesses and investors require reassurance and I am confident we can continue to deliver a strong economy and great job prospects. In the last couple of weeks I have met with a large number of local businesses and I am making sure their concerns get taken up by the Government. There are also big opportunities in this situation and I am delighted that my new role in Government will give me a chance to influence those. As Theresa May takes up the reigns as Prime Minister she does so with record employment in the UK and unemployment in Worcester close to an all-time low.”