Unemployment remains low in the South West – with more than 80% of adults in work - though the number claiming the controversial Universal Credit benefit has risen slightly in Plymouth, latest figures show.
Government statistics reveal that 80.2% of people in the South West, aged 16 to 64, have a job with unemployment running at 2.7%.
The figures for January to April 2019 show that 17.5% of the region’s population is classed as “inactive”, which means they are not looking for a job, for instance if they are students, carers, or long-term sick.
In Plymouth, 6,020 people are claiming benefit, mostly the new Universal Credit (UC), but there are a few “legacy” claimants still receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance.
This figure, also for the first quarter of 2019, has risen by 13% on the same period in 2018, but a spokesman at Jobcentre Plus was quick to explain the total included some UC claimants who are in work but receiving a top-up benefit.
Of the Plymouth claimant count, 1,089 are young people aged between 18 and 24, a total which has also risen, by 12%, year-on-year.
But Paul Paskins, from Plymouth’s Jobcentre Plus, said the job market was still sound in the city. In 2018 there have been job vacancies in sectors such as care, security, construction, hospitality and engineering.
“There is a good supply of vacancies,” he said. “But they are across the board, not from any specific centre.”
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Nationally, the unemployment rate remained at 3.8%, the lowest rate since the October to December 1974 period, the Office for National Statistics said.
The employment rate for women was 72%, the highest on record. This is after changes to the state pension age leading to fewer women retiring between the ages of 60 and 65.
Matt Hughes, deputy head of labour market statistics at the ONS, said: "With employment growth among women coming from full-timers, the overall gap between men and women in hours worked is now the lowest ever - women now average about three-quarters of men's weekly hours, compared with around two-thirds 25 years ago."
Meanwhile, wage growth beat market and economist expectations in the three months to April 2019. Pay rose by 3.4% compared with a year ago. After taking inflation into account, wage growth was 1.4%.
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The Government said real total pay was grew by 1.2% in the past year and that private sector employment is booming, growing by 287,000 in the year, as 海角视频 businesses continue to invest in new workers.
Jobs requiring more qualifications, particularly in sectors such as technology and science, continued to show the biggest increase. Higher skilled roles made up around 75% of the rise in employment since 2010 - employing an extra 2.6million people since 2010.
Overall unemployment fell by 112,000 in the past year. At 3.8%, the unemployment rate remains its lowest since the 1970s, with youth unemployment level falling by nearly half since 2010.
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Employment Minister Alok Sharma said: “Once again we see more people in work than ever before; 3.7 million more since 2010. A testament to the Government’s support for employers and jobseekers on a day where we also mark that 2 million claimants are now being supported through Universal Credit.
“With wage growth increasing pace on last month, outstripping inflation for the 15th month in a row, and record high female employment – the Government’s focus on pro-business policies and balanced economic management is delivering opportunity for all.
However, Emma-Lou Montgomery, associate director for Personal Investing at Fidelity International, said: “With inflation also starting to edge higher again, largely due to fuel prices, there is an air of anticipation that it could soon outstrip wages. In other words, we may be richer for now, but for how long?”
And Pawel Adrjan, 海角视频 economist at the global job site Indeed, said: “It’s telling how ingrained the gender pay gap remains, not just in reality but also in people’s ambitions.
“New research by Indeed has found women’s peak career salary expectations are significantly lower than men’s. Women, on average, expect to earn £45,800 while men expect to earn £62,900 – a difference in expectations of £17,100.”
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To contact William Telford: william.telford@reachplc.com