Unemployment continues to fall


Unemployment continued on its downward path, official figures show. 


The number of unemployed people in the UK was down by 55,000 to 1.36 million in the three-month period ending July from the 1.42 million for the previous three-month period. 


The fall in numbers was enough to cut the unemployment rate from 4.2% to 4.0% of the working population. 


The decrease in male unemployment accounted for the lion’s share of the fall in numbers. Their numbers fell by 47,000 to 719,000 and their unemployment rate was cut from 4.3% to 4.0%.


The number of unemployed women was down by just 8,000 to 641,000, cutting their unemployment rate to 4.0% from 4.1%.


The Office for National Statistics said that the 50 and over age group experienced the largest fall in unemployment — down by 26,000 in the three months to July 2018. 


In August, unemployment under the other main unemployment measure, the claimant count, increased by 8,700 to 918,800 from the revised figure for July of 910,100. The increase in numbers was enough to edge the joblessness rate higher to 2.6% from 2.5%.


This measure only includes those receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/september2018