Jobless queues get a little shorter

The unemployment rate fell in the latest three-month period.The rate under the Labour Force Survey was down to 7.7% from 7.8%.

Nevertheless, it looks like it is going to be a long haul to reach the 7% target set in August by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee before it will consider raising interest rates.

The number of unemployed men fell by 8,000 to 1.42 million in the three-month period ending August, and their unemployment rate fell to 8.2% from 8.3%.

For women, the fall was slightly higher at 10,000 and their unemployed numbers were down to 1.07 million. Their unemployment rate fell to 7.1% from 7.2%.

The combined fall was 18,000, cutting the unemployed total to 2.49 million from 2.51 million.

In September, unemployment on the other main jobless measure — the claimant count — was down by 41,700 to 1.35 million. This measure only includes those people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. The unemployment rate also fell — to 4.0% from 4.2% in August.

The number of male claimants was down by 27,700 to 879,000 and their joblessness rate fell to 4.9% from 5.0%. A 14,000 fall in the number of women claimants cut their number to 472,100 and their joblessness rate was down to 3.0% from 3.1%.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_327398.pdf