Unemployment continues to fall


Unemployment has once again fallen, but the pace slowed in October.


The number of unemployed people fell by 26,000 to 1.43 million in the three-month period ending October 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics. 


The fall in numbers was not enough to cut the unemployment rate which remained at 4.3%.


Most of the fall was accounted for by women, whose numbers were down by 21,000 to 647,000, enough to cut their unemployment rate to 4.1% from 4.2%


Meanwhile, the number of jobless men fell by just 5,000 to 783,000, leaving their unemployment rate unchanged at 4.4%.


On the other accepted unemployment measure — the claimant count — numbers increased by 5,900 to 817,500 in November. This count only includes claimants receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit.


The increase in numbers, however, was not enough to affect the joblessness rate which remained at 2.3%.


The numbers of women claimants increased by 4,100 to 310,800 and that pushed their joblessness rate up to 1.9% from 1.8% in October.


The number of male claimants increased by 1,900 to 506,700, but their joblessness rate remained steady at 2.7%.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/december2017