A record fall in youth unemployment has pushed the jobless count to its lowest level for more than five years, figures showed today.
Overall unemployment fell by 132,000 to 2.08 million in the three months to June, the lowest since January 2009.
The main driver was a 102,000 decline in joblessness among 16-24-year-olds to 767,000 over the quarter, the biggest since records began in 1992. Youth unemployment is now 206,000 lower than a year ago, also a record.
The figures cover a quarter during which the UK economy finally reclaimed the ground lost to the financial crisis six years after the beginning of the recession.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: “There is still a long way to go, but this is solid progress and the significant fall in youth employment is particularly encouraging and welcome.”
The UK’s overall workforce swelled by 167,000 to 30.60 million over the period, lifted in part by 153,000 workers from Romania and Bulgaria, up 13,000 on the first three months of the year.
The claimant count fell for the 21st month in a row in June, by 33,600 to 1.01 million. That puts the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants on course to fall below a million next month for the first time since September 2008.
