Jobless figure takes another dip

Headline unemployment has fallen again slightly, according to official figures.

Under the Labour Force Survey (LFS) count, unemployment fell by 3,000 to 2.46 million in the three months to December compared with the previous three months. However, the jobless rate remained steady at 7.8%.

The fall is due to a cut in the number of unemployed men. Their numbers were down by 22,000 to 1.50 million and their unemployment rate was down to 8.9% from 9.0% on the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, the number of jobless women rose by 18,000 to 959,000 and their unemployment rate was up to 6.6% from 6.5% previously.

However, Office for National Statistics employment figures show the fall is due to a rise in part-time and temporary jobs rather than full-time jobs. The numbers of part-time and temporary workers rose by 7,000 each, while the numbers of full-time employees fell by 48,000. Over a third (35%) of the 1.43 million in a temporary job were in this position because they could not find a permanent job.

The claimant count, which only includes those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, rose by 23,500 after two months of falls. In January, it was up to 1.64 million, but the unemployment rate was steady at 5.0%.