UK employment has reached a record high and the number of people claiming job-related benefits has fallen to a 32-year low, new figures showed today.
The total number of jobs in the UK also reached a record high of over 31 million, while the number of vacancies grew to more than 680,000 last month, the highest since 2001.
The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance fell by 11,100 in November to 813,000, the lowest since the summer of 1975 and the 14th consecutive monthly cut.
Total unemployment, including those not claiming benefit, fell by 15,000 in the quarter to October to 1.64 million, the lowest for more than a year.
The number of people in employment increased by 114,000 in the latest three months to 29 million, the highest figure since records began in 1971.
The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those on long-term sick leave or who have given up looking for work, fell by 16,000 to just under 8 million in the three months to October.
But the figure was still 111,000 higher than a year ago and represented more than 20% of the working age population.
Manufacturing jobs continued to fall, down by 38,000 in the three months to October compared with a year ago to 2.9 million, the lowest since records began in 1978.
