Data published by the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) this morning
also shows the percentage of people employed has fallen to 74.4%,
while a near record 2.8 million people are now out of work due to
long-term sickness.
Today's figures come a week after the Secretary of State set out
how the Government's plan to get Britain working will tackle
economic inactivity and drive growth in every corner of the
country.
Alongside action to make work pay, overhaul skills and
address the root causes of worklessness, including poor physical
and mental health, the plan will deliver:
A new national jobs and career service to help get more
people into work, and on in their work.
New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive,
led by Mayors and local areas.
A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.
Work and Pensions Secretary, MP said:
Spiralling economic inactivity, rising unemployment and the UK
standing alone as the only G7 country where the employment rate
is still not back to pre-pandemic levels. This is a truly dire
inheritance which the Government is determined to tackle.
Behind these statistics are real people, who have for too long
been ignored and denied the support they need to get into work
and get on at work.
It's time for change - in every corner of the country. That is
why we are taking immediate actions to deliver on our growth
mission, and spread jobs, prosperity, and opportunity to
everyone, wherever they live.
Our Plan to Get Britain Working again will overhaul jobcentres,
deliver a youth guarantee, and give local areas the power they
need to tackle economic inactivity and breakdown barriers to a
brighter future.
In the first few days in office the Chancellor, , unveiled the Government's
first steps to securing economic growth as the only route to
improving the prosperity of the country and the living standards
of working people.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, MP added:
Economic growth is our national mission and getting people back
into work is central to that. It is the best way to improve
living standards for everyone which is why I have already taken
action to fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild
Britain and make every part of our country better off.
The plan to deliver growth, get people into work, and
improve the labour market will be a truly cross-government
effort, with the Health Secretary setting out how cutting
NHS waiting times
will get Britain back to health and back to work.
Further information
ONS data on
the latest labour market statistics is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/uklabourmarketjuly2024
