Record jobs boom and wages are rising

RECORD numbers of Britons are working and wages soaring as the UK’s jobs boom shows no sign of slowing, it was revealed yesterday.

And in a triple-dose of pre-Brexit good news, unemployment among women has fallen to its lowest level.

In the final three months of 2018, the number of people in work rose 167,000 to a new record high of 32.6million, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Most of the growth was among British nationals.

Unemployment plunged by 14,000 to 1.36 million, 100,000 lower than a year ago. The UK’s jobless rate is now four per cent, down by 0.3 per cent on a year ago and the lowest since 1975.

The rate is even lower for women, dropping below four per cent for the first time.

Average earnings increased by 3.4 per cent in the year to December, the highest for a decade, outpacing inflation.

The number of economically inactive people fell by 94,000 in the latest quarter to 8.6 million, a rate of just under 21 per cent and the lowest on record.

More jobs are also being created, the figures revealed, with vacancies increasing by 16,000 to a record high of 870,000.

Employment minister Alok Sharma said: “While the global economy is facing many challenges, these figures show the underlying resilience of our jobs market.”

ONS senior statistician Matt Hughes said: “The labour market remains robust, with the employment rate remaining at a record high and vacancies reaching a new record level.”