Britain's jobless number remains at 11-year low

The number of unemployed people in Britain has remained at an 11-year low, the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) reported Wednesday.

Figures show the country currently has an employment rate of 4.8 percent, with almost a million people leaving the so-called dole queue since 2010.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed Wednesday that employment continues to run at a near-record high rate of 74.5 percent, with 31.8 million people in work, an increase of over 2.7 million since 2010.

According to the ONS, 23.25 million people are working full-time in Britain, 209,000 more than a year earlier, while 8.55 million people are working part-time, 86,000 more than a year earlier.

ONS said there were 1.60 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 52,000 fewer compared with June to August 2016, and 81,000 fewer than a year earlier.

By genders, the figures show about 883,000 men and around 721,000 women are unemployed.

A spokesman for the DWP said: "The rise in employment continues to be driven by full-time work, which is up by 2 million since 2010. And long-term unemployment is the lowest it has been since 2008."

The figures show average wages excluding bonuses grew by 2.7 percent over the last year, as the number of people claiming benefits remained at 2.3 percent, close to its lowest rate since 1975.

Employment Minister Damian Hinds said the stronger figures highlighted the strength and resilience of our labor market.

The latest figures also show that youth unemployment is down by over 360,000 since 2010, also the lowest in 11 years, while long-term unemployment is the lowest since mid-2008. Endit