Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the UK unemployment figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 16 December; and what assessment they have made of the rate of unemployment increasing to 5.1 per cent between August and October from 4.3 per cent over the same period in 2024.

We are aiming to achieve our employment ambitions by reforming the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market. This requires action to reverse the trend of rising economic inactivity, support people into good quality work, help people to get on in work and increase their earnings and develop the skilled workforce that key sectors need to grow.

We set out our plan in the Get Britain Working White Paper, with three pillars:

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus into a Jobs and Careers Service which is more focused on skills and career progression, responsive to the needs and challenges of local labour markets and aligned with the needs of employers.
• Tackling economic inactivity due to ill health through joined up work, health and skills support and the Pathways to Work guarantee of tailored support for those with health conditions who claim out of work benefits.
• Delivering a Youth Guarantee so that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship.

Reforming the skills system is also essential to deliver this change. The recent Machinery of Government change provides new opportunities to align our labour market and skills objectives.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published in October 2025, outlined our plan to deliver the skilled workforce our economy needs now and in the future.