New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding unemployment have shown that the quarter to April 2012 saw a 51,000-drop in people out of work. Despite the double dip recession, employment grew, with the jobless rate in Britain falling to 8.2% and offering hope for the many people who are currently out of work.
In addition to the falling jobless rate, there were further indications that the economy was beginning to prosper once again. Whilst previous gains in employment have largely stemmed from the creation of part-time positions, it was reported by the ONS that new jobs were shared equally between full and part-time vacancies, with workers increasing by 82,000 and 83,000 for full and part-time jobs respectively.
The British Chambers of Commerce’s chief economist, David Kern, said: “This is encouraging news at a crucial time for the UK economy. Overall, these figures show a flexible and robust job market. This proves that the private sector is willing and able to create new jobs while public-sector employment continues to shrink.”
Despite the good news, the ONS also reported that Jobseeker’s Allowance claims rose by 8,100 during May, with the number of individuals who have not had employment for over 12 months rising to 886,000. There was positive news for youngsters, though, with jobless figures for those aged between 16 and 24 falling by 29,000. For recruitment agencies needing new jobs in which to place clients, the future looks promising and suggests that a variety of positions are to become available.
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