LONDON, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of women in jobs in Britain has reached its highest level since records began in 1971, government figures release Wednesday have revealed.
The employment rate among working-age women is 69.2 percent, while the employment rate for both men and women is also at a record high of 74.2 percent. It means there are 31.6 million people in Britain in jobs.
But the figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) also show there are around 750,000 unfilled vacancies in the economy at any one time.
According to the ONS the new figures show the latest unemployment rate is 5 percent, lowest level since 2005. It means that in the February to April review period the number of people unemployed was 1.67 million, down 20,000 compared to the previous quarter,
An ONS spokesman said: "There are nearly half-a-million more people in work compared to a year ago, with wages before bonuses up by 2.3 percent in the same period. The growth in employment is being driven by full-time work."
The introduction of the new, compulsory National Living Wage of 7.20 pounds an hour (10.21 U.S. dollars) for workers aged 25 and above helped lift the wage packets of 1.8 million workers.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Stephen Crabb said: "Secure employment and a decent wage are key to transforming the life chances of people right the way across the country, so I'm delighted to see another strong set of figures this month.
"There are more people in work than ever before and wages are continuing their upward climb, which is great news for hardworking families who have seen a rise in their living standards over the past year. Our economic plan is delivering jobs and security right across the UK."
The unemployment rate among 16 to 24-year olds not in full-time education is at 5.6 percent, its lowest ever figure.
