Unemployment records a fall


UK unemployment has recorded its seventh consecutive monthly fall. Unemployed numbers fell by 64,000 to 1.49 million in the three-month period ending May 2017. 


The count was last lower 12 years ago in the period ending September 2005.


The fall in numbers impacted on the unemployment rate which was cut to 4.5% from 4.7%. The last time the rate was as low as 4.5% was in the May-July period 1975. 


The number of unemployed men was cut by 24,000 to 831,000. The fall in numbers was enough to cut their unemployment rate to 4.7% from 4.8%. 


The number of women claimants fell by 40,000 to 664,000 and their unemployment rate fell to 4.2% from 4.5% in the previous three-month period.


Like the UK, joblessness rates in Germany, Japan and the US are at their lowest in at least a decade and significantly below their pre-2008 crisis averages, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).


The claimant count — which only includes claimants receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit — posted another increase. In June 2017, unemployment under this count increased by 5,900 to 814,500 from the revised figure for May of 808,600. The joblessness rate remained at 2.3%. according to the ONS.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/july2017