vacancies across the uk hitting that record 20 year high betweenjuly and september ofjust over! million. the highest number since records began in 2001 and the most prevalent number ofjob vacancies in the retail sector and motor repair sector, unemployment is up 4.5% compared to 4% pre pandemic. but also crucially from the ons this morning, the number of employees on payroll, that showed another monthly increase, rising by over 200,000 to 29.2 million in september. the ons say that shows the job market is in recovery, that the number of employees on payroll now exceeds pre pandemic levels. the chancellor has welcomed these numbers and says it shows the job market is in recovery, saying it shows the government strategy is working. let s talk live now to dr arun
at the beginning of the pandemic. what matters right now, well beyond the airport towns, is what happens to those million or so workers are still on the furlough scheme as it ends. the chancellor, rishi sunak, certainly thinks that vacancies and worker shortages show the jobs market has recovered enough to be ta ken off life support. it s absolutely right to say that there are lots of companies trying to hire lots of people and that is a good thing. we are seeing wages go up, record numbers ofjob vacancies, and actually gives us all confidence and optimism about the future. a few miles away from crawley, this exhibition business owner, hayley, was able to offer all her furloughed workers theirjobs back, though some found jobs in other sectors. it s so nice to be back. she, like some union leaders, say the welcome support might be needed again. so there still is a huge uncertainty for us and i m aware that a lot- of people are still struggling. we would definitely like to think that if
you ve come here pretty much straight from the first cabinet, the first new cabinet, so delivery s clearly the word on everybody s mind at the moment. did you ever expect to be health secretary? after you quit as chancellor, there were all sorts ofjobs were mentioned for you. you were going to be his chief of staff, you were going to do this job or that. i don t think i ever heard it suggested you be health secretary, so did it come as a shock? i can t say i expected it. i mean, first of all, obviously, i was back on the backbenches, and i wasn t sitting there expecting to go back into cabinet any time soon, and i was making my most of my time on the backbenches and doing a lot of other stuff that otherwise i couldn t have done. but when, you know, matt got into trouble, there was speculation, i guess, then started, and i did get a couple of phone calls, just from friends, saying, look, you know, if matt doesn t stay, you might get the call, and so it did obviously get me thinking ab
you ve come here pretty much straight from the first cabinet, the first new cabinet, so delivery s clearly the word on everybody s mind at the moment. did you ever expect to be health secretary? after you quit as chancellor, there were all sorts ofjobs were mentioned for you. you were going to be his chief of staff, you were going to do this job or that. i don t think i ever heard it suggested you be health secretary, so did it come as a shock? i can t say i expected it. i mean, first of all, obviously, i was back on the backbenches, and i wasn t sitting there expecting to go back into cabinet any time soon, and i was making my most of my time on the backbenches and doing a lot of other stuff that otherwise i couldn t have done. but when, you know, matt got into trouble, there was speculation, i guess, then started, and i did get a couple of phone calls, just from friends, saying, look, you know, if matt doesn t stay, you might get the call, and so it did obviously get me thinking ab
that otherwise i could have not have done. when matt got into trouble there was speculation i guess that started and i did get a couple of phone callsjust from started and i did get a couple of phone calls just from friends saying if matt doesn t stay you might get the coal so it did obviously get me thinking about it. i the coal so it did obviously get me thinking about it. thinking about it. i need to think as this me. thinking about it. i need to think as this me. is thinking about it. i need to think as this me, is this thinking about it. i need to think as this me, is this the thinking about it. i need to think as this me, is this the sort - thinking about it. i need to think as this me, is this the sort of. thinking about it. i need to think| as this me, is this the sort ofjob i want to do? i as this me, is this the sort of “0b i want to doafi as this me, is this the sort of “0b i want to mi i want to do? i did, but i didn t have to think i want to do? i did, but i