Business Hiring
Debate between Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath and Lord Bishop of Manchester
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord for his question. The UK’s employment rate is in the top half of the OECD economies and is above the G7 average. Unemployment also remains low by international standards: in the bottom half of the OECD and lower than Canada, France and the euro area average. The UK has the third-highest employment rate in the G7. Employment is up, inactivity is down and wages continue to grow. We are particularly pleased to see that 399,000 more people have moved into work in the past year.
The Lord Bishop of Manchester
My Lords, the area of Greater Manchester, which is largely coterminous with my diocese, has been showing better growth and better employment figures than most other parts of the country. I wonder whether the Minister might reflect that what the wider country needs is a good dose of Manchesterism.
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
That is a very topical question from the right reverend Prelate. Greater Manchester has shown the value of putting decisions closer to the people and places they affect. Ambitious growth plans are at the heart of its strategy, linking jobs, skills and public services. Collaborative local leadership has supported pathways into work, enabled by infrastructure connecting people to opportunities. Jobs have also flowed from procurement and investment. One of the benefits of devolution is enabling innovation. We look forward to sharing the learning from the success of Manchester across the country.