Unemployment falls by 65,000


The falling trend in unemployment has picked up pace, official figures show. Unemployment was down by 65,000 to 1.36 million in the three-month period ending June from the 1.43 million for the previous three-month period. 


The fall in numbers was enough to cut the unemployment rate to its lowest since February 1975 —4.0% of the working population. The previous three month-rate was 4.2%.


The number of unemployed men fell by 35,000 to 721,000 and their unemployment rate was cut to 4.0% from 4.2%.


Female unemployment fell by 30,000 to 639,000, and their unemployment rate was also cut to 4.0% from 4.2%.


The Office for National Statistics said that short-term, medium-term and long-term unemployment declined in the second quarter of 2018.


The other main unemployment measure — the claimant count — only includes those people receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance as well as those on the means-tested Universal Credit.


Under this count increased by 7,600 to 906,100 in July from the revised figure for June of 899,900. The increase in numbers was not enough to affect the joblessness rate which remained at 2.5%.

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