Rachel Reeves comments on the latest ONS labour market statistics

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to the Office for National Statistics latest Labour Market Statistics, said:

“Thirteen years of Conservative economic failure has left working people worse off, with low growth, low pay and high taxes. 

“Working people saw pay rise faster under the last Labour government. But, with the Conservatives we have seen a decade of stagnant wage growth. 

“Labour’s plan to grow the economy will boost wages, create good jobs and get Britain’s future back.”

Ends

Notes to editors

·         Real average weekly earnings (regular pay) under the Tories have gone up by £5 -or 1% - since they came into government in May 2010.

·         When Labour were in power between Jan 2000 and May 2010 wages went up by £58 - or 14%. 

·         This analysis uses: ONS, Average weekly earnings (nominal) – regular pay, whole economy, from https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/averageweeklyearningsearn01

·         ONS, CPI https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/d7bt/mm23

·         Nominal earnings figures are deflated to constant 2015 prices. 

·         Figure for the last Labour government shows growth between January 2000 and May 2010 as that is where the ONS main AWE series goes back to.