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Posted around 5 months ago •
In the quarter to January 2026, employment and unemployment levels both rose, the inactivity rate fell, vacancies were broadly unchanged, and regular wage growth slowed to its lowest level in five years. Youth unemployment also remained high. Therefore, this month’s findings have reinforced messages from recent releases, with labour market cooling increasingly being driven by firms’ hesitation to hire and create jobs
In the quarter to June 2026, employment rose, headline unemployment fell and economic inactivity was broadly unchanged. Meanwhile, youth unemployment remained above 16%, vacancies fell again, and regular pay growth showed signs of resilience.
In the quarter to February 2026, the unemployment level and rate fell, employment levels rose slightly but the employment rate decreased, and wage growth continued to slow. There was also a notable uptick in economic inactivity, and vacancies have fallen even further.