Research: UK labour market: November 2018

The latest estimates from the Office for National Statistic's Labour Force Survey have been released for April to June 2018 and July to September 2018. The number of people in work and the number of unemployed people both increased, but the number of economically inactive people was little changed.

Key findings

• Latest estimates show that average weekly earnings (not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 3.2 per cent excluding bonuses, and by three per cent including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• Average weekly earnings in real terms (adjusted for price inflation) increased by 0.9 per cent excluding bonuses, and by 0.8 per cent including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.
• There were 32.41 million people in work, 23,000 more compared with April to June 2018 and 350,000 more than for a year earlier.
• The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 years who were in work) was 75.5 per cent, little changed compared with April to June 2018 but higher than for a year earlier (75 per cent).