UK unemployment is at an all-time low with just 1.5 million people now out
of work.
In February, the unemployment rate fell to 4.8 per cent – the lowest since
records began in 1984 – with the number of unemployed people falling by 33,000
in the three months to January to 1.44 million.
The claimant count – ie, those claiming jobseekers’ benefits – showed its
ninth consecutive monthly fall, dropping by 6,600 to 885,200 in February – the
lowest figure since 1975.
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The number of people in work grew by 121,000 in the three months to January
to a record high of 28.27 million – mainly due to an extra 88,000 women joining
the workforce.
The number of vacancies (around 576,000) also rose, with unfilled posts up
15,100 on 2003.
