UK Unemployment Figures

Key Statistics for the final Quarter of 2009 (October through December):

• Employment Rate 72.4% – 28.91 million people employed – A fall of 12,000
• Unemployment Rate 7.8% – 2.46 million people unemployed – A fall of 3,000
• Inactivity Rate 21.3% – 8.08 million working age inactive people
• Total Pay (including bonuses) rose by 0.8% on the final Quarter of 2008
• Regular Pay (excluding bonuses) rose by 1.2% on the final Quarter of 2008

The Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), Kevin Green said \”This is good news and supports the feedback we’ve had from members who have reported an increase in recruitment activity over recent months. Improving employer confidence is resulting in a more positive outlook on hiring intentions over the coming year, but the UK jobs market remains fragile. There are real concerns that the squeeze on public expenditure will counteract some of these positive trends, particularly in regions that are heavily dependent on public sector jobs.\”

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary, Brendan Barber said “These figures show that unemployment was static over the Christmas period. Given that many were predicting that joblessness would still be rising, this is a vindication of the Government\’s extra investment in support for the unemployed. However, the economy is still on a knife edge. Any suggestion that now is the time to start cutting back on the extra support for unemployed people should be firmly rejected. The continuing fall in youth unemployment is very encouraging and shows that Government investment in training and jobs is starting to pay off. Those who say we can\’t afford these policies are effectively saying that mass youth unemployment is a price worth paying. The record number of involuntary part-time workers shows that beneath the surface millions of people are under-employed. The recession will not be over for these people until they are back in secure jobs and working the hours they need to earn to a decent living.”

Commonwealth Contractors

At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with OISC Registered Private Immigration Firms and Tier 2 Licensed Healthcare and IT Consultancies who may be prepared, where required, to sponsor an individual on a Tier 2 (Work Permit) Sponsorship. If you are a highly skilled International professional and you would like to work in the UK Commonwealth Contractors can help. Our OISC Registered Partners specialise in Tier 1 General Visa (formerly the HSMP) visa applications and can assist those highly skilled individuals that either wish to apply or extend a Tier 1 General Visa.

For more Information call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0330 390 9021 or Submit your details now and we will get right back to you.