Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made on trends of unemployment rates over the last 12 months.

The unemployment rate has fallen slightly over the last 12 months, by 0.1%pts to 4.2%.

The unemployment rate does not capture everyone who is out of work. The economic inactivity rate has increased by 0.7%pts, equivalent to 350,000 people, over the same period. Economic inactivity due to long-term sickness is at a near-record high at 2.8m.