Unemployment rate sees a fall


In the three-month period ending February 2019, the number of unemployed people fell by 27,000 to 1.34 million from 1.37 million in the period ending November. 


The decrease in numbers was enough to cut the unemployment rate to 3.9% from 4.0%.


The number of unemployed men fell by only 7,000 to 731,000 so their unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. The number of unemployed women, meanwhile, fell by 20,000 to 611,000 and their unemployment rate was cut to 3.8% from 4.0%.


The latest statistics show that: 


• short-term unemployment (less than six months) fell by 12,000 to 796,000; 


• medium-term unemployment (six to 12 months) fell by 16,000 to 200,000; and 


• long-term unemployment (over 12 months) remained unchanged at 347,000. 


The claimant count — the other main official unemployment measure — which only includes people receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit — posted another increase.


In March 2019, unemployment under this count was 1.07 million, a 28,300 increase on the revised total of 1.04 million for February, and the joblessness rate edged up to 3.0% from 2.9%.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/april2019