Nuneaton’s MP Marcus Jones has welcomed new figures showing 151,000 more people in work across the West Midlands region since Labour were last in power and a record level of employment across the UK as a whole – with over 2.3 million more people enjoying the security of a job than in 2010.

In Nuneaton, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit while not in employment] has fallen by 1,295 - a 57 per cent drop – since 2010.

The figures also show that wages are continuing to grow strongly, with average total pay up 2.0 per cent, while inflation is close to flat. This means working people across Nuneaton are seeing their wages grow and our plan for a higher-employment and higher-wage economy is working.

With employment at a record 74.0 per cent, and the majority of the increase in employment over the last year in full-time jobs, today’s statistics show that our economic plan is working. It’s creating jobs and growing pay packets for families in Nuneaton as we continue to move towards the goal of full employment that we committed to in our manifesto.

Commenting, Marcus said: ‘Today’s figures are excellent news for families here in Nuneaton, marking an important milestone in the road to full employment. With employment at the highest rate in our history, wages continuing to grow above inflation, and the unemployment rate now below the level we last saw before Labour’s Great Recession, it’s clear our economic plan is working.

‘Each new job mean a worker and their family with the security of a pay packet. But with Britain facing a dangerous cocktail of new risks in the global economy this year it’s more important than ever that we stick to our plan to fix Britain’s finances, as we continue to work to deliver security for families here in Nuneaton and across the UK.’