A RECORD number of people entered, or returned, to work between July and December last year, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people who moved out of ‘economic inactivity’ – defined as people not looking for work – fell over the six-month period.
It came after a rise in the number during and after the Covid pandemic, which experts largely put down to older people taking early retirement.
The ONS said the new figures were driven by people in the 16-24 age group, as well as 50-64-year-olds returning to work, as well as a rise in part-time workers.
Darren Morgan, from the ONS, said in the last three months of 2022 fewer people remained outside the labour market altogether, with some moving straight into jobs and others starting to seek work again.
“This meant that although employment rose again, unemployment also edged up,” he said.
The news came as economic growth is earmarked as a priority for the government, with a Budget expected on March 15.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, pictured, previously caused a stir recently when he urged people aged over 50 to return to work.
He told The Times: “You can have an enormously rich life by continuing to make a contribution to the economy. It doesn’t just have to be about going to the golf course.”