19/03/2014

Highest Number Of People Working Since 1971

Official government figures shows the highest number of people in work since 1971, after a 63.000 drop in unemployment in the last quarter to 2.33 million.

This number is expected to give the government a Budget boost with more than 450.000 people employed compared a year ago. Bring the total to over 30.19 million in employment, the highest figures since 1971, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS)

The unemployment rate now stand at 7.2%, down from 7.4% in the previous three months.

At the same time, the number of unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 stands at 912,000 in the last three months to January, down 29.000 on the previous quarter.

The ONS added that in February the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance fell by 34,600 to 1,175 million, meanwhile the ONS said the average earnings also increased by 1.4% from a year earlier to January, up 0.2% on the previous month.

(CVS/MH)

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