Labour Research (July 2018)

News

UK unemployment rate is down


The fall in the number of unemployed women was solely responsible for the latest decline in unemployment.


Overall, unemployment fell by 38,000 in the three-month period ending April on the previous three-month period to 1.42 million. The fall was enough to cut the unemployment rate to 4.2% of the working population from 4.3%.


The number of unemployed women fell by 47,000 to 649,000, but male unemployment rose by 10,000 to 767,000.


Women in the 25 to 49 age bracket made a huge contribution to the fall, but older women (aged 50 and over) saw their numbers increase.


It was the reverse for men, with unemployment among 25- to 49-year-olds accounting for most of their increase, while the number of older unemployed males was down. 


The unemployment rate for women was cut to 4.1% from 4.4%, while the male rate edged higher to 4.3% from 4.2%.


There was also a fall in the other main unemployment measure — the claimant count — which only includes claimants receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit.


In May 2018, unemployment under this count fell by 7,700 to 886,200 from the revised figure for April of 893,900.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/june2018#employment


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