Claims for unemployment benefits have dipped despite a growth in jobless numbers, says official data.
Labour market statistics published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that the working age employment rate has fallen over the past three months.
ONS said that employment fell by 53,000 over the last quarter to reach 28.3 million taking the employment rate for people of working age to 74.6 per cent for the three months ending in June 2004.
The unemployment rate increased slightly to 4.8 per cent, from 4.7 per cent the previous quarter bringing the total jobless figures to 1.44 million, an increase of 27,000.
Conversely, figures show that over 12 months the number of people unemployed has fallen by 18,000 to reach 290,000. This is the lowest recorded figure since comparable records began in 1992.
In further good news for the economy, the claimant count for Jobseekers’ Allowance fell by 13,700 to 835,000 in July, the lowest levels since July 1975.
Jane Kennedy, minister for work said: “Despite a mixed picture this month, unemployment has fallen over the year to levels not seen since the mid 1970s and vacancies are high and rising.”
