Joblessness lowest for 22 years


UK unemployment is at its lowest level for 22 years, official figures show. The number of unemployed people fell by 52,000 to 1.44 million in the three-month period ending August 2017. 


The fall in numbers cut the unemployment rate to 4.3% from 4.5%. The rate was last lower in the April-June period 1975. 


The male count accounted for all of the decrease as women’s numbers increased. The number of unemployed men was down by 56,000 to 775,000. The fall in numbers cut their unemployment rate to 4.4% from 4.7%. Their rate was last lower in September 1975.


However, the number of jobless women rose by 4,000 to 668,000 but their unemployment rate remained at 4.2%.


The claimant count — which only includes claimants receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit — rose by 1,700 to 804,100 in September 2017. The fall in numbers, however, was not enough to affect the joblessness rate which remained at 2.3%, according to the Office for National Statistics. 


The number of male claimants fell by 300 to 502,500, but their joblessness rate remained steady at 2.7%. Meanwhile, the number of women claimants increased by 2,000 to 301,600, but their joblessness rate remained steady at 1.8%.

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