Local MP Caroline Dinenage has welcomed employment figures published this week by the Office for National Statistics. There are 24% fewer claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) across the Gosport constituency than in November 2014.
The total number of claimants in the Gosport constituency in November 2015 was 603, which represents a rate of 1.2% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64. This is considerably lower than the national average of 2.4% and lower than the South-East average of 1.3%. Since 2010, the number of JSA claimants across Gosport, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head has fallen by 779, representing a 56% reduction.
The figures also show that average pay across the UK is up by 2.4 per cent while inflation is close to flat, meaning that wages are growing. There are 275,000 more people in work across the South-East since 2010 and a record level of employment across the UK as a whole – with over 2.2 million more people in work than in 2010. There are now nearly a million more women in work and 86% of 16-24 year olds are now in full-time study or work, the highest proportion on record.
Commenting on the statistics, Caroline said:
"I welcome the publication of the latest employment figures this week, which clearly show that more families throughout Gosport, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head are enjoying the security that comes with a regular pay packet. With employment at a record high and wages continuing to grow above inflation, I am so pleased that more people will reap the rewards of the UK's economic growth this Christmas.
"However, the Government mustn't rest on its laurels because even more can be done to help unemployed people back into work. I welcome plans for more apprenticeships, thirty hours of free childcare for working parents and a National Living Wage as incredibly important measures that will keep driving up employment and increasing prosperity."
The labour market data was published by the Office for National Statistics on 16 December 2015.
