Overhaul of official workforce data may take another two years, ONS admits

Britain’s unemployment rate has risen and vacancies have fallen for the ninth month in a row as the uncertain economic outlook begins to take its toll on the UK jobs market, official figures have shown (Alamy/PA) -

Britain’s official statisticians have admitted that efforts to overhaul unreliable data on Britain’s jobs market may not be ready until 2027, leaving policymakers in the dark over the true state of the UK workforce for up to another two years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed it is now “unlikely” it will be able to introduce a revamped version of its Labour Force Survey (LFS) – which is the official measures of employment and unemployment in the UK – mid-2025 and it may take up to 2027.