Joblessness count records a fall


Unemployment under the Labour Force Survey count was down by 20,000 to 1.67 million in the three-month period ending April on the previous period. 


The unemployment rate was cut to 5.0% from 5.1%. That’s the lowest rate since October 2005.


The fall was down to male unemployment. The number of unemployed men fell by 31,000 to 892,000, and their unemployment rate was down to 5.0% from 5.2%. The number of unemployed women increased by 12,000 to 779,000, but their unemployment rate remained at 5.0%.


A regional breakdown of the figures shows falls in the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. Numbers were down by 11,000 in Scotland, 5,000 in Wales, 3,000 in England and 2,000 in Northern Ireland. 


The unemployment rates for England and Wales at 4.9% and 4.8% respectively were below the UK average of 5.0%. However, the 5.8% rate for both Scotland and Northern Ireland was well above the UK average.


The other main unemployment measure — the claimant count — only includes claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit.

In May, unemployment under the claimant count fell by just 400 to 746,100 from the revised figure for April of 746,500. The joblessness rate was steady at 2.2%.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/june2016