Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith said: “Creating jobs is central to building a stronger, more resilient and stable economy. With millions more people in private sector employment under this Government, it is clear that our long-term economic plan is helping Britain to recover following one of the deepest recessions in living memory.

Mr Duncan Smith continued: “All of our reforms are focussed on helping people off benefits and into work – giving people the peace of mind and security that comes with a steady income. With the number of people claiming the main unemployment benefit down below 1 million for the first time in 6 years, we are helping people to break free from welfare dependency, look after themselves and their families, and play their part in getting our country back to work.”

Today’s figures also show a continued growth in private sector employment – up by almost 800,000 in the last year alone. Compared to 2010 there are now over 2.16 million more people in private sector jobs – showing that the Government’s long-term economic plan to create jobs by backing businesses is working.Unemployment saw the largest annual fall in 26 years, dropping by 468,000, which brings the unemployment rate to a new 6-year low of 6.2 percent. The employment rate, at 73 percent, is also back up to the level seen before the recession with 30.61 million people in work. The number claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) has been falling for the last 22 months – with 423,600 fewer claimants than a year ago – and is now below 1 million for the first time since 2008.

Young people saw the largest annual fall in unemployment since records began in 1984 – falling by 213,000 on the year – and has been dropping for the last year. There are now fewer young people claiming the main unemployment benefit (JSA) than just before the recession – having dropped by 133,200 in the past year and for 33 months in a row. Schemes like the Government’s Work Programme have contributed to the largest drop in long-term unemployment since 1998 – falling by 175,000 on the year.

International Comparisons
Over the last year the UK has seen the largest growth in employment and the largest fall in unemployment in the G7.

Vacancies
Job vacancies rose again, up 137,000 over the past year bringing the number of vacancies in the UK economy to 673,000.

Young People
The employment rate for young people who have left full-time education is 71.5 percent – which is up 4.3 points since 2010 and over the last year, youth employment in the UK has grown faster than the OECD average. In the 3 months to March 2014, the UK saw the fastest fall in youth unemployment out of the G7. 84 percent of 16-24 year olds are now in full-time study or work – up from 81 percent in 2010 – which brings down the number of unemployed young people not in full-time education to 489,000.

Women
There are also record numbers of women in work with the UK having seen the fastest growth in the number of women in work in the last year out of all G7 economies. Nearly 40 percent of the annual rise in female employment was in managers, senior officials or professional occupations. Of those women working part-time, nearly 90 percent have chosen to work part-time because it suits them – for example they want to fit work around caring responsibilities or for other reasons such as being a student. The proportion of women working part-time who want full-time work (12.4 percent) is falling – the latest figures saw the largest annual fall since 1999.

Self-employment body welcomes calls to put freelancing at heart of public policy
IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, has welcomed a new report calling for freelancing to be put at the heart of public policy. The Freelancing Agenda launched today by the Labour Finance and Industry Group calls for a range of recommendations to make it easier to work as an independent professional, including eradicating confusion around the tax status of freelancers. Simon McVicker, Director of Policy and External Affairs at IPSE, said: “The Labour Finance and Industry Group’s report is a welcome and positive contribution to the wider debate on freelancing and self-employment. Recognition of the importance of freelancing to the UK economy, combined with targeted policy measures to support this vital group can be a catalyst for wider economic growth.

“There are clear problems with the current policy framework that exist for the self-employed, and this report attempts to solve these issues, particularly with regard to the confusion which surrounds the employment and tax status of freelancers. “Although the recommendations in this report are welcoming, it is crucial that any proposals to help the rapidly growing self-employed sector are simple to implement and there is consultation with the self-employed community.

“Bold yet simple policy suggestions like those outlined in IPSE’s manifesto will enable decision-makers to speedily implement policies supporting independent professionals and the self-employed. A small business conciliation service, for instance, would be a big step forward around resolving issues of late payment or disputes over contracts and could be put in place immediately by the next government. With self-employment rising at a record rate, it is more important than ever for decision-makers to champion this sector. It is encouraging that the Labour Party is considering adopting the recommendations in the Labour Finance and Industry Group’s report and IPSE will continue working with all major political parties to ensure they provide the self-employed with the support they need to flourish.”