The rate of UK unemployment was 3.7% in the three months to December, unchanged from the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics has said. Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said: “The last quarter of 2022 saw fewer people remaining outside the labour market altogether, with some moving straight back into a job and others starting to seek work again.
“This meant that although employment rose again, unemployment edged up also.
“Although there is still a large gap between earnings growth in the public and private sectors, this narrowed slightly in the latest period.
“Overall pay, though, continues to be outstripped by rising prices.”
He added: “Though still at historically very high levels, job vacancies have dropped again, with a particularly sharp fall from the smallest employers.
“The number of working days lost to strikes rose again sharply in December.
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“Transport and communications remained the most heavily affected area, but this month there was also a large contribution from the health sector.” Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “In tough times unemployment remaining close to record lows is an encouraging sign of resilience in our labour market.
“The best thing we can do to make people’s wages go further is stick to our plan to halve inflation this year.”
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: “This Conservative Government has hammered families with soaring mortgages, rising energy bills and huge unfair tax hikes.
“Hard-working people are having their pay squeezed thanks to the incompetence of Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt.
“A long list of Conservative chancellors have driven the economy to the edge of recession, leaving millions worried about losing their jobs.
“The Government should do the right thing, put in place a proper windfall tax and cancel April’s energy bill rise.”
