EAST Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has welcomed the latest ONS employment figures.

They show a record 31.77 million people are now in work - an increase of 2.7 million since 2010 – with the unemployment rate holding at 4.9 per cent; the lowest rate for over a decade.

“It’s good to see the trend in employment data continuing to deliver improvements, with some of the best results since records began in 1971. It’s 10 years since we’ve seen the unemployment rate as low as 4.9 per cent, and the proportion of unemployed 16 to 24-year- olds - at 5.7 per cent - is close to the lowest on record.

“I’m also pleased to see the number of people aged 50 to 64 now in work has reached a record 8.58 million, which shows that opportunities are being created for this important and growing part of the workforce.”

The total number of unemployed claimants in East Hampshire remains broadly unchanged at 364, which is 56 per cent lower than 2010.