NATIONAL EMPLOYER & PARTNERSHIP TEAM

Employer News

December 2017

Welcome to the December 2017 edition of Employer News.

The DWP National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) will be using this e-shot to communicate items of interest to Employers, Trade Associations and Partners.

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Today’s Labour Market Statistics

HEADLINE NEWS

Unemployment remains at four-decade low

·       The unemployment rate was 4.3%, down from 4.8% for a year earlier and the joint lowest since 1975.

·       There were 32.08 million people in work, 325,000 more than this time last year.

·       More than 660,000 people are now receiving Universal Credit, with 40% in employment.

Unemployment is at just 4.3%, the lowest level since 1975, according to official figures released today – every month in 2017 figures have shown a fall in the unemployment rate.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, also show that employment remains at a near record high, with 32.08 million people in work. There are also a record number of vacancies (798,000) in the economy at any one time.

Separate figures also released yesterday show there are 660,000 people now receiving Universal Credit (UC), as the rollout of the new benefit continues. Research shows that with UC people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than compared to the old system.

Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds said:

“We’re ending the year on a strong note with figures showing the unemployment rate has fallen every month in 2017, and is now at the lowest it’s been in over 40 years.

“Employment is at a near-record high, and there are over 3 million more people in work now compared to 2010 – that’s more than the population of Greater Manchester. Universal Credit is helping people get into work quicker, and ensuring they get more money in their pockets for every hour they work.

“Universal Credit supports both the unemployed and the low paid, as people don’t have to end their benefit claim when they find a job. This is especially important at this time of year, when many people take on temporary seasonal work.”

Today’s employment figures also show:

·       The number of people in employment has increased by over 3 million since 2010.

·       Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010.

·       The proportion of young people who are unemployed and not in full time education remains below 5%.  

Coming soon: NEPT Customer Satisfaction Survey

As part of our on-going focus to provide excellent customer service, the National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) will launch a survey in the New Year, to gather insight from all our Employers, Trade Association and Partner relationships.

We value your opinion and are constantly looking for ways to improve how we work with our customers. Therefore keep a look out for the 2018 edition of the ‘NEPT Employer News’ where the survey will be featured for you to complete. 

It is your feedback that will help us identify how we can improve our service to support you, in your recruitment plans.

The National Employer and Partnership Team would like to say thank you to all Employers, Trade Associations and Partners for the significant contribution you have made to the fall in unemployment, demonstrated in the figures.   

                                              Edition 14.12.2017