LATEST employment figures "hide the real story of the labour market under this government,” Labour said today.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there has been a rise in the number of people in work while average earnings have grown marginally faster than inflation.

The ONS found that employment increased by 3,000 in the three months to July to 32.4 million, and that average earnings were up by 2.6 per cent in the year to July, compared with the latest consumer prices index rate of inflation of 2.5 per cent.