Tue, 11 Nov 2025

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 UK unemployment rate rises to 5% as jobs market weakens

Latest official data ahead of the Budget later this month shows it is the highest rate since 2021.
Unemployment rate: - UK unemployment rate rose to 5% in the three months to September. - This is the highest rate since December 2020 to February 2021. Average wage growth: - Down from 4.7% to 4.6% in the third quarter compared to August. Job vacancies: - Remained broadly unchanged at 723,000 between August and October 2025. People on company payrolls: - Fell by 180,000 in the year to October, a drop of 0.6%. Unemployment benefits: - Nearly 1.7 million people are claiming unemployment benefits, down from a year ago. Public sector wage growth: - Up 6.6% compared to the private sector's 4.2%.
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