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UK unemployment falls by 51,000

UK unemployment levels have fallen by 51,000 to 2.61 million in the three months to April, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The jobless rate fell to 8.2%, but the claimant count increased by 8,100 i May compared with April.

Most of the decreases was made up by men, as female unemployment fell by 1,000. Youth unemployment also fell by 29,000 to a little over one million.

Commenting on the figures, employment minister Chris Grayling said: “This time we’re seeing a very healthy increase in full-time jobs and that’s very welcome.

“Any fall in unemployment is very welcome, but I remain cautious over the next few months, given the continuing economic challenges we face.”

Employment in the private sector rose by 205,000, but the number of people working in the public sector fell by 39,000 to 5.9 million, the lowest figure since March 2003.

Tony Dolphin, IPPR chief economist added: “The headline fall in unemployment today is good news. It seems that private sector employment is expanding despite economic growth contracting over the same period. Youth unemployment has fallen slightly, showing that while there is still a long way to go, the Youth Contract job guarantee scheme is having an impact.

“But the bad news is that the number of people unemployed long-term is continuing to rise, with more people out of work for more than a year than at any time since the mid-1990s. There are also now more people working part-time who say they want a full-time job than ever before.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .