News - 18 February 2015

Chamber Welcomes More Good News on Jobs

Unemployment has fallen, the number of people in work has increased and there are fewer people claiming out of work benefits now than a year ago, according to new figures released today.

The Office for National Statistics’ latest regional employment statistics showed that in the last three months of 2014, there were 36,593 more people in employment across the East Midlands than in the previous three months, while the total number of unemployed fell by 17,487 in the same period. 

In the East Midlands, employment stood at 74.5% compared with 73.2% nationally according to today’s figures. Unemployment stood at 5% for the region compared to 5.7% nationally.

There was a monthly increase in the number of people in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Rutland claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) in January, as many temporary seasonal contracts came to an end. In December 2014, the local JSA Claimant Count stood at its lowest level since records began in 1983, but it increased by 1,790 to 39,157 in January.

It is, however, still significantly lower than it was 12 months ago, when it stood at 57,874.

The East Midlands Chamber, which represents businesses across the three counties, has welcomed the news.

Chamber Chief Executive George Cowcher said: “There is usually a seasonal spike in JSA Claimants in January and February each year as temporary employment contracts come to an end after the Christmas period, but that aside, today’s figures were again very positive.

“There are now more people in work and fewer people unemployed and claiming out of work benefits now than a year ago, which highlights how much progress the economy has made over the past 12 months.

“It’s also positive to see that wage growth is now outstripping inflation. A focus on improving productivity from businesses will ensure this is sustainable.”

The JSA Claimant Count for January 2014 was:

Jan 2014

Dec 2014

Jan 2015

Monthly Diff

Annual Diff

Derby

5,408

3,065

3,245

180

-2,163

Derbyshire

10,969

6,919

7,474

555

-3,495

Leicester

9,904

6,237

6,388

151

-3,516

Leicestershire

6,704

3,935

4,250

315

-2,454

Nottingham

11,604

8,389

8,526

137

-3,078

Nottinghamshire

13,089

8,669

9,098

429

-3,991

Rutland

196

153

176

23

-20

Total

57,874

37,367

39,157

1,790

-18,717

The total employment/unemployment figures for the East Midlands region were:

Total economically active

Total in employment

Unemployed

Total economically inactive

Oct-Dec 2012

2,306,466

2,127,718

178,748

1,369,074

Oct-Dec 2013

2,326,891

2,166,815

160,076

1,370,470

Jul-Sep 2014

2,344,527

2,212,120

132,407

1,370,291

Oct-Dec 2014

2,363,634

2,248,713

114,920

1,357,987

Quarterly Diff

19,107

36,593

-17,487

-12,304

Annual Diff

36,743

81,898

-45,155

-12,483

Two-Year Diff

57,168

120,996

-63,828

-11,087

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