Register to get 1 free article
Reveal the article below by registering for our email newsletter.
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
The UK unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level in 11 years, according to official figures released today.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the UK unemployment rate fell to 5% in June – the lowest level since October 2005.
The unemployment total fell to 1.67 million in the period between February to April, down 20,000 when compared with the preceding three months.
During the February to April period there was 31.59 million people in work, 55,000 more than the three months to January 2016 and 461,000 more than the same period a year earlier. Of those, 23.10 million were working full-time – up 304,000 on the same period in 2015.
The employment rate – the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were in work – was 74.2%, the joint highest since comparable records began in 1971.
Meanwhile, average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain, including bonuses, increased by 2% and by 2.3% excluding bonuses compared with a year earlier.
