Number of Brits in work now ‘well above’ pre-pandemic level
THE number of Brits in work has hit a fresh record high as those on payrolls increased by 160,000.
It brings the total UK workers to 29.3million between September and October, new figures reveal.
The rate of unemployment has fallen to 4.3% for the from July to September, the numbers from the the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
That's down from 4.5% in the three months to August, according to figures last month.
The number of job vacancies is at 1.17million in the three months to October, with an increase in all industries on a quarterly basis.
It comes after separate data indicates that there were fewer redundancies than expected after the end of the furlough scheme.
Wage support through the government scheme ended on September 30 after several extensions through the coronavirus pandemic.
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Sam Beckett, ONS head of economic statistics, said: "It might take a few months to see the full impact of furlough coming to an end, as people who lost their jobs at the end of September could still be receiving redundancy pay.
"However, October's early estimate shows the number of people on the payroll rose strongly on the month and stands well above its pre-pandemic level."
She added: "There is also no sign of an upturn in redundancies and businesses tell us that only a very small proportion of their previously furloughed staff have been laid off.
"In addition, vacancies again reached a new record high."
Despite the strong outlook, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said the ongoing supply chain issues, labour shortages and record high vacancies have put a brake on economic growth.
Matthew Percival, the business group's director of people and skills, said: "The Supply Chain Advisory Group is a positive development, demonstrating the Government’s willingness to work in partnership with business to tackle current challenges.
"Companies will continue to face these issues well into the New Year, so it’s important this spirit of collaboration is maintained to safeguard the UK’s economic recovery."
The Sun's Keep On Trucking campaign is helping recruit tens of thousands of HGV drivers needed to beat crisis.
Inflation data due out this week is expected to show the cost of living is still increasing.
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