Today’s employment figures are the latest piece of encouraging news for the British economy.
We’ve come a long way since 2010. Labour left Britain with the biggest budget deficit in our peacetime history – and during their last three years in power, the number of people in work fell by 256,000.
But thanks to the difficult decisions the Conservatives have taken, the economy is growing again. And today’s numbers prove it. Not only has employment increased by 177,000 in the last quarter, there are now 1.1 million more people in work than under Labour.
The figures on youth employment are especially encouraging. In the last three months, the number of young people in work increased by 50,000, while the number claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell by 13,000 – the 17th consecutive monthly fall.
There is still more work to be done. We need to stick to our long-term, sustainable plan to make sure the recovery benefits all hardworking people.