Employment up 3% year-on-year with 504,200 new jobs, mostly permanent

The majority of these new jobs are permanent in nature (up 289,700 in the last year), the temporary employment rate has fallen by 0.6 points to 23.6% and most are full-time jobs (413,600). Unemployment is down by 488,700 to stand at a total of 5.44 million. The unemployment rate is down by 2.15 points to stand at 23.8% of the working population.

As regards the quarter-on-quarter data, it should be remembered that the first quarter of the year is usually adversely affected by seasonal factors. A total of 114,300 jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2015 when compared with the last quarter of 2014, which is the lowest decrease in a first quarter of the year since 2008. The quarter-on-quarter downturn in employment stands at -0.65% (0.43% when using seasonally-adjusted data), compared with 0.81% in the previous quarter. Unemployment fell by 13,100 in the quarter (-0.24%), although it fell by 2.5% on the previous quarter in seasonally-adjusted terms.

From a sector perspective, the number of people in work rose in construction and industry, by 30,300 and 2,300, respectively. In contrast, employment fell by 135,400 in services and by 11,500 in agriculture. Compared with 12 months ago, employment levels have risen in non-farming sectors - with 334,900 more workers in the service sector, 142,500 more in the industrial sector and 118,500 more in the construction sector. Meanwhile, 91,700 jobs were shed in the agriculture sector.

As regards the professional status of those in work, the quarterly fall affected both salaried employees and non-salaried professionals. The former shrank by 89,200 and the latter by 23,000. Furthermore, the employment downturn was mainly concentrated in the private sector - with 143,500 fewer jobs, while the public sector grew by 29,200. When compared with a year ago, the private sector grew by 468,000 and the public sector grew by 36,200, with year-on-year growth rates of 3.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

The number of salaried employees with permanent contracts rose by 25,300 in the quarter, while the number of those with a temporary contract fell by 114,500. With this result, the temporary employment rate fell by 0.65 points when compared with the fourth quarter of 2014 to 23.6%. In year-on-year terms, the number of workers on a permanent contract rose by 289,700 while those on a temporary contract rose by 174,800.

As regards the working day, the number of those working full-time fell by 130,600 in the first quarter of 2015 while the number of those working part-time rose by 16,300. When compared with the same period in 2014, the number of people in full-time employment rose by 413,600 while the number of people in part-time employment rose by 90,600.

Unemployment fell in the first quarter of the year by 13,100, which is the largest unemployment decrease in a first quarter of the year since 2005. The total number of unemployed stands at 5,444,600 and the unemployment rate stands at 23.78% of the labour force, 0.1% higher than in the previous quarter and 2.15 points lower than 12 months ago. In seasonally-adjusted terms, the quarter-on-quarter change in the number of unemployed stands at -2.5%, compared with -1.4% in the previous quarter. This is the eighth consecutive quarter of improving figures. Compared with a year ago, unemployment has fallen by 488,700, or 8.2%. There were 21,400 fewer unemployed men, while the number of unemployed women rose by 8,300. The unemployment rate among men fell by 0.06 points to 22.7%, while the same rate among women rose by 0.24 points to 25%.

Unemployment fell in construction and industry by 7,200 and 4,200, respectively, while it increased in services and agriculture by 35,300 and 9,700, respectively. The number of first-time job-seekers fell by 21,300 and the number of unemployed who lost their job over a year ago fell by 25,500.

The number of households in which all active members are unemployed rose by 27,300 in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,793,600, while the number of households in which all active members are in work fell by 18,700 to 9,091,400. When compared with 12 months ago, the number of households in which all active members are unemployed fell by 185,400, and those in which all active members are in work rose by 431,800.

The workforce shrank by 127,400 in the first quarter. Compared with the same quarter last year, it grew by 15,500. The rate of activity fell by 0.32 points in the quarter to 59.5%.