Research: UK labour market: April 2018

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its labour force statistics for between September to November 2017 and December 2017 to February 2018.

Key findings:

• The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 years in work) was 75.4 per cent, higher than for a year earlier (74.6 per cent) and the highest since comparable records began in 1971.
• Average weekly earnings in nominal terms (not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 2.8 per cent, both excluding and including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• Average weekly earnings in real terms (adjusted for price inflation) increased by 0.2 per cent excluding bonuses, and by 0.1 per cent including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• There were 1.42 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking work), 16,000 fewer than for September to November 2017 and 136,000 fewer than a year earlier.