13,000 more unemployed – but claimant count down
The number of people unemployed has risen by 13,000 over the last quarter, but the number of people claiming unemployment benefit has fallen.
That is the surprising conclusion of the latest labour market survey from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
It found that there has been an increase in the employment rate with more people overall in employment (99,000 up) and the number of job vacancies is also up.
The rate of unemployment is unchanged at 4.7 per cent.
But, while the number of unemployed people rose by 13,000 over the quarter, the claimant count was 825,300 – down 6,200 on the previous month.
Commenting on the figures, Minister for Work Jane Kennedy said: “This month’s figures are continuing evidence of the success of the Government’s economic and welfare to work policies. Getting more people into the labour market, alongside low unemployment, is a further step towards our aim of extending employment opportunity to all.”
She added: “All the evidence shows that Jobcentre Plus and the New Deals have contributed to the fall in long-term unemployment, and are increasingly helping other groups such as lone parents and people on incapacity benefits. Active support such as this means more people can take up the new jobs created in a successful economy.”
Explaining the rise in unemployment, she said: “With more people entering the labour market, economic activity grew by 112,000, exceeding the 99,000 rise in employment. As a result ILO unemployment rose 13,000 compared to the previous three months. Against this the number of inactive people of working age fell by 73,000 .”
