The rate of unemployment in the U.K. has risen to 3.9 per cent
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK’s jobless rate rose in the January-March quarter, up from 3.8% a month earlier.
There were 1.083 million job vacancies on average across February to April 2023.
This was down 55,000 on the previous quarter, as employers continue to cite economic pressures.
The number of employees on the payroll fell by 136,000 in April 2023, its first fall since February 2021. It is now 838,000 above its pre pandemic level.
There are still some 361,000 fewer people in the labour market than in the months leading up to the pandemic and there has also been a continued rise in those on long-term sickness, which has hit a fresh high of nearly 2.6 million.
This figure has shown no sign of slowing and is now nearly 440,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Commenting on the figures, Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, a leading think tank for improving working lives in the UK said:
Today’s jobs data underlines how urgent it is that the Government gets to grips with the long-term sickness challenge facing the UK labour market amidst worker shortages.
“Employers are still struggling to recruit, with vacancies at over a million, despite falling for the tenth consecutive month. Long-term sickness has hit a record at 2.55 million and the number of people opting out of work on the grounds of ill health suggests a radically different approach is needed to boost the UK workforce. Although economic inactivity has fallen by 156,000 on the quarter, this is driven by students entering the jobs market.
“Workers are facing a painful Groundhog Day on pay. For the 16th consecutive month regular pay has fallen – it’s now 2.0% lower on the year as double-digit inflation outpaces any wage increases. This highlights the pressure facing the UK’s six million workers in low paid and insecure jobs, who are being hit hardest as the cost of living continues to bite.
“It’s not too late for the Government to return to its commitment to introduce an Employment Bill that could strengthen job security and guarantee a right to job flexibility on day one. These steps could attract hundreds of thousands of people into work by driving up the quality of jobs on offer, and ensure that more people are better able to balance work and any long-term health condition they may have.”
