The number of people in employment has reached a record high according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Close to 30 million people are now in employment, a rise of 300,000 over last year, the figures show.
There has also been a 4,000 drop in the number of people classified as unemployed over the last three months, making the figure 49,000 lower than this time last year.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) has fallen for the ninth month in a row and is now at the lowest level since February 2009.
The ONS figures show a continued grown in the number of vacancies, with more than half a million currently available, an increase of 12% since last year.
Mark Hoban, Minister for Employment said: “With 29,000 fewer people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance compared to this time last month, and more people in work than ever before, today’s figures paint a positive picture of the UK labour market.
“There are now more jobs available than at any time since the end of 2008, and more hours being worked than ever before – which shows that there are opportunities out there for people who want to work and get on in life.”
