UK jobless rate falls slightly to 4.8% in March

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The UK's unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.8% in the three months to March, down from 4.9% in February.

The figures, which cover a period of strict lockdown, showed "early signs of recovery" in the jobs market, the Office for National Statistics said.

It added that the number of workers on payrolls had risen by 97,000 between March and April, but was still 772,000 lower than before the pandemic struck.

Job vacancies meanwhile hit their highest level in more than 12 months.

Darren Morgan, ONS director of economic statistics, said the number of employees on payroll "rose strongly in April" as the economy began to reopen, continuing an improvement from its November trough.

But he said: "There remains, however, three-quarters of a million people fewer on the payroll compared with the pre-pandemic peak.

"With many businesses reopening, the recent recovery in job vacancies continued into April, especially in sectors such as hospitality and entertainment."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the latest figures showed the impact of the government's focus on protecting jobs during the pandemic.

"While sadly not every job can be saved, nearly two million fewer people are now expected to be out of work than initially expected - showing our Plan for Jobs is working."

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May 18, 2021 at 06:41PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57154345