Claim: 2.9 million jobs have been created since 2010 and employment is at record levels.
Quote: “Since 2010, 2.9 million jobs have been created. We see employment at record levels. Employment [is] higher now than since records began. And unemployment lower than it's been since the mid 1970s.” - Theresa May
Analysis:
There are 2.9 million more people in employment comparing the first three months of this year to the three months before the 2010 election.
This isn’t the same as 2.9 million jobs created. Some people could be working in multiple jobs or multiple people could be working in one job.
At the same time, there are also estimated to be around 2.6 million more adults in the UK since 2010.
The employment rate accounts for that—it looks at the proportion of the population aged 16-64 in work. It’s nearly 75%, which is the highest since comparable records began in 1971.
The unemployment rate—which identifies the number of people in the national workforce who are actively seeking a job — is at 4.6% and is the lowest since 1975.
Verdict:
There are 2.9 million more people in employment now than there were in 2010. That doesn’t mean 2.9 million jobs have been created as some people may have more than one job, and more than one person may do a single job. The employment rate is at record levels.
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