The latest labour market statistics for February 2017 to April 2017 showed a 109,000 rise in employment and 50,000 fall in unemployment.

The figures show that 1.53 million people were unemployed between February and April, the Office for National Statistics says. That’s 145,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

This left the unemployment rate at 4.6% in February to April, down from 5% a year earlier and the joint lowest since 1975.

Unemployment in the North West has fallen by 20,000 in the last quarter to 150,000.That represents 4.2% of the working population.

However wages are still falling behind rising prices.Taking account of inflation, For Feb-Apr 2017 wages are down 0.4% on a year including bonuses and down 0.6% excluding bonuses.

Commenting on the figures, Neil Carberry, CBI Director of Employment and Skills, said:

“Decent employment growth remains an encouraging feature of the UK economy, underlining the importance of maintaining a flexible and fair labour market.

“But weak pay growth, against the backdrop of rising inflation, means that people’s pay packets won’t stretch as far, which is already hitting living standards.

“Therefore politicians need to put the economy front and centre, create stability and ensure the EU negotiations get off to a positive start. In the longer term, we must fix the foundations of our economy by improving productivity growth through meaningful progress on a modern industrial strategy, with real change on the ground in skills, infrastructure and innovation.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, and MP for Saddleworth, commenting on today’s labour market stats from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said:
“We welcome the overall increase in employment, but are deeply concerned that millions remain in low paid, insecure work.
“The Government has also failed to close the employment gap faced by women, disabled people and BAME groups, who have too often borne the brunt of austerity cuts.
“With the cost of basic essentials rising by 2.9 per cent, while wages stagnate, too many of Britain’s families are struggling to get by while Theresa May focuses on holding her unstable coalition of chaos together.

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