Employment on the up

The number of people in employment is on the rise, but for many that means temporary or part-time working as they can’t find a full-time job, according to official figures.

The UK employment total was up by 105,000 to 30.19 million in the quarter to January, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, that was due to a 211,000 increase in the self-employed, as employee numbers were down by 60,000.

The figures on temporary working shows that well over a third (37%) of 1.61 million employees were in temporary jobs because they could not find a permanent one. And nearly one in five (18.2%) of 7.92 million workers were working part-time as they could not find a full-time job.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The economy is generating jobs, but too many are insecure and poorly paid.

“So far economic growth has failed to improve job security or generate decent pay rises. This must change if the benefits of recovery are to be felt by hard-working people.”

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_354442.pdf

www.tuc.org.uk/node/119900