Brown hails employment figures

Gordon Brown said in the Commons that unemployment figures were the "best in history", with record numbers in work and the highest number of jobs yet in the economy.

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.

Employment levels increased by 114,000 in the latest three months to 29 million, the highest figure since records began in 1971. The total number of jobs in the UK also reached a record high of more than 31 million, while the number of vacancies grew to more than 680,000 last month, the highest since 2001.

Meanwhile, ministers announced that more than 250 businesses have now committed to working with the Government to form Local Employment Partnerships, helping longer term benefit claimants move off welfare and into work.

Employment Minister Caroline Flint said: "Work is the best route out of poverty and with over 250 companies working with us, more long-term benefit claimants can fill some of the 680,000 job vacancies.

"A decade ago too many people were being written off, their talents wasted and skills ignored. Now these people are among the record numbers in work, contributing to the economy and supporting their families."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "(The) figures are good news for the Government and working people across the country. Employment levels are steady and most of the change is in the right direction.

"We're hoping for stronger job growth in 2008 but the economic outlook is still very unclear. Today's figures, however encouraging, should not promote a sense of false security."

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 eight 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.