How the parties compare on jobs

The Prime Minister has confirmed we are making progress on delivering on the five priorities: halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats. 

And Britain is making progress ensuring people are in work, which will help us grow the economy, afford better public services, and and recover the living standards which have been affected by the cost of living. 

• This week the ONS announced that employment is at a record level, with four million more people in work since 2010. The number of people out of work remains near record lows at 3.8 per cent, whilst the rate of people in work is the highest since the start of the pandemic (ONS, Employment and employee types, 13 June 2023, link).

• No Labour government has ever left office with unemployment lower than it was when they came into power. Every Labour government has left office with unemployment higher than before they came into power – under the last Labour government, unemployment rose from 2.1 million in 1997 to 2.5 million in 2010 (Fullfact, 7 April 2014, link).