A comprehensive new report has revealed there are now more people in primary and secondary teaching jobs than ever before.

The Department of Education's research found there are over 1.3 million teachers and support staff working in England's state schools - a record amount.

These census figures reveal a rise of 220,000 full-time-equivalent teaching and assistant posts in schools compared with 2005 statistics, and the report has prompted the government to state "there has never been a better time to be a teacher".

Despite the recession and the subsequent cuts to the public sector, this snapshot of the education jobs market shows the workforce grew annually through each of the previous eight years. This may be due to growing demand for school places in many inner city areas.

Since 2012, the number of teachers has increased by 9,000, driven by a surge in the birthrate and a subsequent rise in primary school roles. There are now 451,100 full-time-equivalent teachers. Figures on the teacher-pupil ratio are not yet available.

Labour used the government figures to criticise the rise in teachers without qualified teacher status in English schools, as the stats showed a rise of 2,300 full-time posts to 17,100, meaning that 3.8 per cent of teachers in state-funded schools do not have qualified teacher status.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt argued the significant rise was a threat to standards in the school system. He said: "The evidence from the best-performing school systems around the world shows us that the quality of teaching makes the biggest difference to raising school standards."

A Department for Education spokesman rejected the claims about rising numbers of teachers without qualified teacher status.

"It is entirely right that state schools should enjoy the same advantage that private schools have to bring great linguists, computer scientists, engineers and other specialists into the classroom. It is entirely up to head teachers who they employ and we trust their judgment in getting the mix right for the pupils they know best."

Are these figures to be viewed in a positive or negative light? Is the rise in teaching jobs tempered by an increase in the number of non-qualified staff working in schools?