Wage growth outpaced inflation for an eighth month in a row, rising 0.9 per cent in real terms (against CPIH inflation), while regular pay before inflation grew at its fastest in almost a decade at 3.2 per cent.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed the employment rate remains high, at 75.5 per cent, with a record number of people in employment – and over 3.3 million more people in work since 2010.
Employment Minister Alok Sharma, said: “Once again, the benefits of a strong jobs market are paying off, with the eighth month of real-terms wage growth for UK workers and the highest regular pay growth in almost a decade.”
Unemployment now stands at 4.1 per cent, with the figures showing three quarters of jobs created since 2010 are full time, permanent roles that are in higher skilled occupations, which typically bring higher earnings.
The latest ONS statistics also revealed that more than half of disabled people are now in work, outnumbering those who are workless.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, commented: “As we celebrate the anniversary of Disability Confident, we can see seismic shifts in opportunities for disabled people, with 973,000 more in work since 2013.
That’s empowering hundreds of thousands more disabled people with new career opportunities, and creating a brighter future.”
The Disability Confident scheme was set up to transform business attitudes across the country and to make workplaces more inclusive. More than 9,000 businesses have signed up so far.
