NORTH East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) response to today’s labour market estimates.
Headline figures for the North East:
- Employment in the North East stands at 1,182,000 or 69.3% – a decrease of 3,000 over the quarter and increase of 14,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 73.4% nationally.
- North East unemployment stands at 96,000 or 7.5% – a fall of 7,000 over the quarter and 33,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 5.6% nationally.
- The claimant count stands at 47,200 or 3.9% in the North East, compared to 2.3% nationally.
Jonathan Walker, Head of Policy and Campaigns, North East Chamber of Commerce, says:
“The labour figures show some great news on the unemployment front. There is yet another big fall in the number of people out of work in the North East and we can see a major improvement on the position 12 months ago. Our region also continues to improve at a faster rate than the rest of the UK.
“Our recent QES results have shown businesses’ hiring intentions have eased slightly in recent months, which might offer some explanation for the small drop in employment numbers. This is likely due to uncertainty on the lead up to the General Election, which should now subside.
“The national figures continue to head in the right direction, with record employment numbers once again.”