§ 34. Mr. Roger WilliamsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the work force who are unemployed and economically inactive, broken down by region. [35779]
§ Ruth KellyThe Government's aim is employment opportunity for all, moving towards our long-term ambition that, by the end of the decade, there will be a higher proportion of people in work than ever before.
The number of jobs has increased by over 1.25 million since the 1997 election, with employment rising and unemployment falling in every region and country of the UK.
The monthly National Statistics First Release "Labour Market Statistics" reports labour market data for the regions and countries of the UK. The regional labour market summary in Table 18(1) includes figures on unemployment and economic activity on the basis requested. This publication is available in the Library of the House of Commons.