UK unemployment fell by 0.1 per cent to 3.8 percent for July to September compared to the previous three months, and by 0.2 per cent on the previous year equivalent to 72,000 jobs
However the number of people hired in Britain has fallen at its fastest quarterly rate in four years amid signs that the jobs market is starting to weaken after a period of record growth.
Average weekly earnings including bonuses fell to 3.6% from downwardly-revised 3.7% growth in August, undershooting expectations of 3.8% growth. Excluding bonuses, average earnings were up 3.6%, down from 3.8% growth the month before and missing expectations for an unchanged reading.
The figures also showed that the number of vacancies in the UK economy fell by 14,000 to 800,000 in the last quarter, marking the biggest quarterly drop since 2009.
An ONS spokesperson said: “The employment rate is higher than a year ago, though broadly unchanged in recent months. Vacancies have seen their biggest annual fall since late 2009, but remain high by historical standards.
“The number of EU nationals in work was very little changed on the year, with almost all the growth in overseas workers coming from non-EU nationals.”
