People are getting off benefits and into work across the North West with 124,000 more people in work since the last election.

Overall there are now a record 30.9 million people in work, with 1.85 million more people in work since the last election. The employment rate, at 73.2 per cent is also the highest on record.

 These new jobs are not insecure or poorly paid. Three quarters of new jobs since the last election are full-time, and as the new figures also confirm pay is now rising above inflation - with total pay up 2.1 per cent on the year, well ahead of inflation, which was 0.9 per cent over the period.