Second fall in jobless total is good news but jobs market remains fragile

UK unemployment figures show another drop in the number of people out of work.  In the quarter until the end of March, the number fell 36,000 to 2.46 million. The number of young people aged between 16 and 24 also dropped 30,000 to 935,000.

Commenting on this second consecutive drop in the total, Gillian Econopouly, the REC’s Head of Policy, said:

“Though this continuing trend is welcome, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the jobs market remains volatile. Our latest Report on Jobs shows that while hiring activity in certain sectors is steadily increasing, there is still concern over the effects of public sector cuts and the creation of a two speed jobs market.

“Employer confidence is on the rise which gives some optimism for how the employment landscape will develop over the coming months. However, the ability of the private sector to fully absorb public sector job losses remains in the balance.”

Commenting on the latest youth unemployment data, Econopouly concludes:

“The drop in the number of young people out of work is also encouraging, but this should not mean that the corner has been turned. The Government is committed to addressing this issue but needs to consider more concrete measures such as National Insurance holidays to encourage employers to hire young job-seekers. At the same time, the business community must play its part by working with schools to help build bridges into the world of work through internships and apprenticeships.”

Source the REC