The following is an unedited transcript of the news release from the UK National Statistics.


This month''s figures show an increase in both the number of people in employment and the employment rate. The number of unemployed people, the unemployment rate and the claimant count have all fallen. The inactivity rate and the number of inactive people of working age have both fallen. The number of vacancies has increased. Growth in average earnings excluding bonuses is unchanged but earnings growth including bonuses has fallen.

In the latest reference period; the working age employment rate was 74.8 per cent, up 0.3 percentage points on the previous quarter. The number of people in employment increased by 166,000 over the quarter. The unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent, down 0.1 percentage point
from the previous quarter. Thenumber of unemployed people fell by 32,000 over the quarter.

The claimant count was 793,500, down 2,800 from the previous month. The number of vacancies was 678,500, up 1,600 from the previous quarter. The AEI - including bonuses – was 3.7 per cent, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The AEI - excluding bonuses - was 3.7 per cent, unchanged from the previous month.

Employment

The working age employment rate was 74.8 per cent in the three months to January 2008, up 0.3 percentage points from the three months to October 2007 and up 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier. The employment level was 29.46 million in the three months to January 2008, up 166,000 from the three months to October 2007 and up 367,000 on a year earlier.

The number of people in full-time employment was21.90 million in the three months to January 2008, up 58,000 from the three months to October 2007. Of this total, 14.09 million were men, up 8,000 over the quarter, and 7.81 million were women, up 50,000 over the quarter.

The number of people in part-time employment was 7.56 million in the three months to January 2008, up 108,000 from the three months to October 2007. Of this total, 1.81 million were men and 5.75 million were women. The number of people in public sector employment was 5.78 million in December 2007, up 7,000 from September 2007. The number of people in private sector employment was 23.68 million, up 159,000 from September 2007.

Jobs

There were 31.62 million workforce jobs in December 2007, up 13,000 over the quarter and up 208,000 on a year earlier. Most sectors showed increases in jobs over the year. The sector showing the largest annual increase in jobs was Finance & Business Services, which increased by 149,000.

Hours

Total hours worked per week were 937.3 million in the three months to January 2008, down 2.6 million from the three months to October 2007. Average weekly hours worked in the three months to January 2008 were 31.9 down 0.3 from the three months to October 2007.


Unemployment

The unemployment rate was 5.2% in the three months to January 2008, down 0.1 percentage point from the three months to October 2007 and down 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

The unemployment level was 1.61 million in the three months to January 2008, down 32,000 from the three months to October 2007 and down 89,000 from a year earlier. The number of people unemployed for over 12 months was 383,000 in the three months to January 2008, down 6,000 from the three months to October 2007.

Claimant count

The claimant count in February 2008 was 793,500,down 2,800 on the previous month and down 126,500 on a year earlier. The claimant count rate in February 2008 was 2.5 per cent, unchanged from the previous month but down 0.4 percentage points from a year earlier.