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The latest labour market statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in the 3 months to September:
The employment rate was 70.8 per cent, up 0.3 on the quarter.
The unemployment rate stood at 7.7% down 0.1 on the previous quarter.
However, the number of people unemployed for up to six months increased by 21,000 reaching 1.18 million.
The claimant count) fell by 3,700 between to 1.47 million
However, the number of people claiming for up to six months increased by 10,400 to reach 943,900.
The inactivity rate for those aged from 16 to 64 stood at 23.2%, down 0.2 on the quarter.
This equates to a fall in the number of inactive people by 83,000, which now stands at 9.27 million
These statistics reveal that, although there has been some improvement in the labour market statistics, there are still some issues to be resolved with regards to the longer-term unemployed and the inactivity rate. However, it is important to remember how resilient the labour market has so far been throughout the recession, with part-time working and transferable skills helping to mitigate significant unemployment increases.
Looking forward, the public sector cuts are starting to take place, and these are likely to feed through into the unemployment figures during Q3-Q4 of 2011. The cuts will continue to challenge the flexibility of the labour market, and the degree to which the figures are affected will depend upon the level of private sector activity and job creation during the interim period.
To read the official ONS release please click here
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