Unemployment falls once more

Unemployment has continued to fall in the spring of 2015.

Under the count based on the Labour Force Survey data, unemployment fell by 35,000 to 1.81 million in the three months to April, compared with the previous three-month period ending January 2015. The unemployment rate fell to 5.5% from 5.7%, the Office for National Statistics said.

Gender-wise, the fall was split fairly equally. The number of unemployed men fell by 23,000 to just over one million and their unemployment rate was down to 5.7% from 5.9%.

Unemployed women numbers fell by 20,000 to 811,000 and their unemployment rate was down to 5.3% from 5.4%.

A new experimental claimant count figure as a measure of unemployment was introduced last month by the Office for National Statistics. This means the claimant count now includes those on Universal Credit as well as those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The new claimant count totalled 791,800 in May — a 6,500 fall on the previous month’s total of 798,300. However, the joblessness rate was unchanged at 2.3%.

Male claimant numbers fell by 4,300 to 506,300 but that was not enough to cut their joblessness rate which remained at 2.8%.Female claimant numbers fell by 2,200 to 285,400, and their joblessness rate was unchanged at 1.8%.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_404873.pdf