Highest number on record in work

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Unemployment-related benefits claimants fell in December for the 15th month in a row to a 32-year low of just over 800,000, while total unemployment, including people not eligible to claim Jobseeker's Allowance, fell by 13,000 in the three months to November to 1.65 million.

The number of people in work increased by 175,000 in the latest quarter to 29.3 million, the highest figure since records began in 1971 and the biggest quarterly rise for a decade, said the Office for National Statistics.

In the Commons, Gordon Brown hailed the "best employment record in history" despite growing global economic turbulence, telling MPs: "It's right that people are concerned about what's happening in the global economy and it's right that people want to know, as a result of global financial turbulence, what will happen to our economy over the next few months.

"That's why I'm pleased to say that yesterday (Tuesday) the inflation figures showed that our inflation was 2.1% - half the inflation of America.

"That's why I'm pleased to report also that today (Wednesday) the employment figures show employment had risen by 175,000 in the last quarter - up by 250,000 over the year.

"Unemployment is down. The claimant count is down. Inactivity is down. So under our Government unemployment down, employment up - the best employment record in history."

Jobseeker's Allowance claimants fell by 6,400 last month to 807,700, the lowest total since the summer of 1975 and down by 131,400 over the past year.

Job vacancies also reached a record high of 681,100 in the three months to December, up by 12,200 from the previous quarter.

But the number of manufacturing jobs continued to fall, down by 33,000 in the quarter to November to 2.9 million compared with a year earlier, the lowest total since records began in 1978.