Payroll employment continues to rise across Shropshire

UK unemployment has dropped to its lowest figure in 50 years, according to official data from the Office for National Statistics, though soaring prices are still hitting the pockets of people across the nation as earnings fail to keep up with inflation.

Figures show a rise in employment in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Powys. However these figures only include workers employed by a company and do not account for changes in the number of self-employed people.

In Shropshire, 132,688 people were in payrolled employment in March, ONS figures show, with 83,153 in Telford & Wrekin, and 49,026 in Powys.

For Shropshire it was up from 132,245 the month before and from 126,760 in March 2021.

Telford increased from 82,832 in February and 78,727 the year before.

For Powys the number rose from 48,840 in February and from 47,190 in March last year.

At the start of the pandemic, 128,963 people were in payrolled jobs in Shropshire, 79,870 in Telford & Wrekin, and 48,537 in Powys.

Different figures show that across the UK, the unemployment rate hit 3.8 per cent in the three months to February – it has not been lower than this since 1974.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "The stats show the continued strength of our jobs market, with the number of employees on payrolls rising once again in March and unemployment falling further below pre-pandemic levels."

However, the ONS said real pay was now "falling noticeably", with regular wages excluding bonuses tumbling 1.8 per cent after inflation in the three months to February, the steepest decline in almost nine years.

Labour has called on Mr Sunak to "show the leadership the country needs" amid the cost-of-living crisis, while Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said the Chancellor has done little to help families in the current climate.

"By holding down pay in the public sector and cutting Universal Credit, he has made the crisis worse," said Ms O'Grady.

"Families need help now. Whoever is Chancellor tomorrow should go to Parliament with an emergency budget to help with surging energy bills and to get wages rising."

Jack Leslie, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, called on the Chancellor to provide more support in the autumn budget, saying: "The sheer scale of this inflation-led squeeze of living standards makes it all the more remarkable how little support the Chancellor provided in his spring statement".

Mr Sunak acknowledged this is a "worrying time" but highlighted the £22 billion in support that the Government is providing in 2022-23, including the Household Support fund.

Employment minister Mims Davies added the Government is "doing everything we can to help", including supporting people in moving into better paid, higher skilled work and increasing the National Living and Minimum Wage.

Separate ONS figures also show there has been a fall in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Powys.

For Shropshire around 5,265 people were on out-of-work benefits as of March 10, down by 3,310 from 8,575 at the same point the year before.

In Telford & Wrekin 4,690 people were on the benefits as of the same date, down by 1,915 from 6,605 over the same period.

For Powys there were 2,040 people claiming the benefits last month, down by 1,265 from 3,305, a year ago.