Research: UK labour market: December 2018

The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistic's Labour Force Survey have been released for May to July 2018 and August to October 2018. Once again, the number of people in work and the number of unemployed people both increased.

Key findings

• Latest estimates show that average weekly earnings (not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 3.3 per cent, both excluding and including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• Average weekly earnings in real terms (adjusted for price inflation) increased by one per cent excluding bonuses, and by 1.1 per cent including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• There were an estimated 32.48 million people in work, 79,000 more than for May to July 2018 and 396,000 more than for a year earlier.
• The employment rate was estimated at 75.7 per cent, higher than for a year earlier (75.1 per cent) and the joint-highest estimate since comparable estimates began in 1971.