Flexible work drives record employment
Responding to the latest unemployment figures released today by the Office for National Statistics, Recruitment and Employment Confederation CEO Kevin Green said:
“More people in work than ever before and the lowest unemployment in over a year is another significant step on the road to recovery. The truly amazing thing is that during the past year of a technical recession and in spite of austerity and public sector cuts, the UK has created half a million jobs.
“The job numbers are being driven by flexible working – the number of full-time posts has grown but the increase in temps and part-time workers has been even greater. Too many people talk down the value of part-time work, but it’s here in black and white – over 80 per cent of part-time employees chose to work that way.
“The jobs numbers show that the first round of public sector job losses, in reality, have been absorbed by the private sector – which wasn’t a forgone conclusion and is a reassuring sign of the strength of the labour market.
“Youth employment, though the lowest it’s been in over a year, is still unacceptably high and is unavoidable evidence that the government’s Youth Contract is not yet delivering. Relentless increases in the number of long-term unemployed is worrying too as even when the economy picks up those hard core of unemployed may find they are permanently left behind.”
Source : REC