UK Unemployment Rises to 4.9% as Vacancies Fall to 712,000
Updated
Updated · Fibre2fashion.com · Jul 22
UK Unemployment Rises to 4.9% as Vacancies Fall to 712,000
3 articles · Updated · Fibre2fashion.com · Jul 22
Summary
4.9% unemployment in March-May 2026 marked a 0.2-point rise from a year earlier, while the employment rate edged down to 75.1%, according to ONS data.
90,000 fewer payrolled employees than a year earlier and 30,000 fewer than the prior quarter pointed to softer hiring, with a provisional June estimate showing payrolls down 71,000 year on year to 30.3 million.
712,000 vacancies in April-June were down 7,000 from the previous three months, extending signs that labour demand is cooling.
3.4% regular pay growth and 4.3% total pay growth in March-May still outpaced inflation only modestly, leaving real regular pay up 0.3% and real total pay up 1.1%.