UK Unemployment
Labour Market Statistics
January 18 2012 - The unemployment rate stands at 8.4% - up 0.3% over the quarter and 0.5% over the year.
29.12 million people were in work in September to November 2011 according to the labour force survey (LFS).
The number of people employed was 18,000 higher this quarter and 26,000 higher than last year.
The working age employment rate is 70.3% - down 0.1% on the last quarter and 0.2% over the year.
ILO-defined unemployment in September to November 2011 was 2.69 million (8.4%) -
up by 118,000 on the quarter and 189,000 on the same quarter last year.
The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1,597,000 in December -
up by 1,200 on last month and up 142,400 on the last year.
Earnings growth over the year to September to November 2011 (including bonuses) was 1.9%.
Minister for Employment Chris Grayling said:
"The overall level of unemployment is, and will remain, a major concern for the Government. The latest figures reflect the current challenging economic climate but also show more women entering the workforce and more students looking to supplement their income through work. When you take into account our welfare reforms the number of Jobseeker Allowance claimants has actually fallen.
"Despite the exceptionally difficult economic circumstances, finding work for the unemployed will remain top of the Government’s agenda."
CIPD Chief Economic Adviser John Philpott said:
"The latest jobs data paint a mixed picture, with a smaller rise in unemployment than in the quarter to October (up 118,000),
a slight increase in the number of people in work (up 18,000), little change in the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and
a small but nonetheless welcome fall in long-term unemployment (down 10,000 to 857,000). But the picture overall remains one of increasing
fragility and the jobs situation is set to get much worse in 2012.
"The small rise in employment masks another sharp fall (down 109,000) in the number of employees. This is once again partially
offset by a rise in self-employment (up 101,000), though as the CIPD noted earlier today this consists largely of part-time ‘odd jobbers’ and
should be viewed as a sign of labour market weakness rather than strength. Moreover, employment overall increased only because there were more
unpaid family workers and more people employed on government schemes. In total, full-time employment has fallen while part-time employment has
increased.
"The encouraging figures on JSA claims and long-term unemployment are likely to reflect the initial impact of the government’s
Work Programme. This appears to have boosted the number of people leaving welfare for work to take whatever job vacancies are on offer, despite
a rise in redundancies which has contributed to an increase in the number of people making fresh claims for benefit.
"With total unemployment and youth unemployment still on the up, with growth in average earnings very subdued, and with a
region like the North East now registering a 12% unemployment rate, it’s clear that the UK jobs market is in a very sorry state. It now
looks likely that the level of unemployment at the end of 2011 will have reached 2.7 million, which was the CIPD’s forecast this time last year.
There is nothing in these latest jobs figures that makes us feel any more optimistic about our forecast for this year, which points to
2.85 million (8.8%) by the end of 2012."
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