Unemployment records another fall 


UK unemployment has recorded yet another fall. The number of unemployed people fell by 50,000 to 1.53 million in the three-month period ending April 2017. 


That’s the sixth successive monthly fall, according to Labour Force Survey data.


The fall in numbers cut the overall unemployment rate to 4.6% from 4.7%. The last time the rate was as low as 4.6% was in the June-August period 1975. 


The number of unemployed men fell by 26,000 to 840,000, cutting their unemployment rate to 4.7% from 4.9%. The number of women claimants fell by 24,000 to 690,000 and their unemployment rate fell to 4.4% from 4.6% in the previous three-month period.


There was, however, an increase on 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 2017, unemployment on this count increased by 7,300 to 802,600 from April’s revised figure of 795,400, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, the joblessness rate remained at 2.3%.


Male claimant numbers increased by 3,200 to 501,200, but their joblessness rate was steady at 2.7%. For women, the increase was 4,100 taking their total to 301,400, but their joblessness rate was steady at 1.8%.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment