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PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Unemployment - 4 September 2023 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

Debate Detail

Contributions from Chris Elmore, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Lab
Chris Elmore
Ogmore
4. What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of unemployment over the last 12 months.
Lab
Judith Cummins
Bradford South
10. What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of unemployment over the last 12 months.
  14:51:11
Guy Opperman
The Minister for Employment
I welcome our three new colleagues.

The independent Office for National Statistics estimates that, notwithstanding a recent uptick, the unemployment rate is now almost half the rate we inherited in 2010 and is back to pre-pandemic levels.
  14:51:51
Chris Elmore
Actually, according to the Government’s own figures, three and a half years after the pandemic began, employment is not back to pre-pandemic levels. Will the Minister set out what the unanticipated rise in unemployment says about the underlying health of our economy? It is not looking good, is it?
  14:52:06
Guy Opperman
With great respect, I disagree. Employment is at record levels. Vacancies have been down for the past 10 quarters. Payroll employment is at a record high. Pay is up and inflation is down. We are doing an awful lot better than that lot would.
  14:52:24
Judith Cummins
We have seen a summer of job cuts in my Bradford South constituency, with both Morrisons and Solenis announcing major redundancies. Does the Minister agree that this shows that the Government’s plan to grow the economy is failing?
Guy Opperman
I should make the point that payroll employment is at a record high. There are 4 million more people in work than in 2010, and the unemployment rate is down to 4.2% across the UK—that is a near record low. Our jobcentres are clearly doing a fantastic job, and I fully support all the work that is going on in Bradford to try to address these issues.

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