The employment rate for May to July 2018 was 75.5% – slightly lower than for February to April (75.6%), but higher than for a year earlier (75.3%).
This is according to a September 2018 statistical bulletin from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the UK labour market.
The statistics also show that:
- Between February to April 2018 and May to July 2018, the number of unemployed people decreased, but the number of people aged from 16 to 64 years not working and not seeking or available to work (economically inactive) increased.
- There were 32.40 million people in work, little changed compared with February to April 2018 but 261,000 more than for a year earlier.
- There were 1.36 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work) – 55,000 fewer than for February to April 2018.
- The unemployment rate (the number of unemployed people as a proportion of all employed and unemployed people) was 4.0% – it has not been lower since December 1974 to February 1975.
- 8.76 million people aged from 16 to 64 years were economically inactive, 108,000 more than for February to April 2018 and 16,000 more than for a year earlier.
- The economic inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 years who were economically inactive) was 21.2%, higher than for February to April 2018 (21.0%) but unchanged compared with a year earlier.
- Latest estimates show that nominal average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain (that is, not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 2.9% excluding bonuses, and by 2.6% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
- Latest estimates show that average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain in real terms (that is, adjusted for price inflation) increased by 0.5% excluding bonuses, and by 0.2% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
