Damian Hinds has welcomed new figures today showing the number of people in East Hampshire claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has fallen by 53 per cent since 2010, with the number now at 373 - which is 37 fewer people than a year ago.
Damian said:
“Today’s figures are excellent news. At 73.7 percent our employment rate has never been higher and with average total pay increasing by 3 per cent over the last year, it shows that the government’s plan for a high-employment and higher wage economy is working.
“With full-time employees making up three quarters of the recent increase in employment, more women in work than ever before, youth unemployment at its lowest level since early 2006 and only 2.4 per cent of people in work on zero-hours contracts, fewer people are needing to rely on welfare and now have the security of a job.”
This is being seen across the South East, with 242,000 more people in work since 2010, and there is a further opportunity to help more unemployed back into work with over 700,000 job vacancies currently available across the UK.
Damian continued:
“The UK was the fastest growing major economy last year and is the joint fastest this year - with the USA - a performance that helps underpin the new Living Wage, coming into force initially at £7.20 in April 2016"
“There is still a great deal to achieve in ensuring productivity improves and the economy is successfully rebalanced. The deficit remains a significant burden at 5 percent of national income and difficult decisions still remain if we are to avoid passing even more debt to our children.”