UK employment total hits record high
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The number of people in work in the UK has reached a record high of 32.54 million, latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show.
Unemployment was flat, with a small increase of 8,000 between September and November for a total of 1.37 million.
“The share of the population in work is the highest on record,” said David Freeman, ONS head of labour market.
“The share of the workforce looking for work and unable to find it remains at its lowest for over 40 years.”
Average earnings excluding bonuses increased by 3.3% in the year to November, as wage rises continued to outpace inflation.
The unemployment total is 68,000 lower than a year ago with the jobless rate 0.2% down on this time in 2018 and the number of job vacancies at their joint highest level since 2001.
The increase in both unemployment and employment is explained by the UK’s rising population, and fewer people classed as economically inactive, which includes those on long-term sick leave, students, and people who have given up looking for a job.
The number of economically inactive people fell by 100,000 to 8.6 million, a rate of 21%, which is the lowest on record.
