Overview
- The ONS reports unemployment at 5.1% in October, the highest in a decade outside lockdowns, with the employment rate flat year on year at 74.9%.
- Youth joblessness has worsened sharply, with 546,000 people aged 18–24 unemployed, up 85,000 on the quarter, and an 18–24 jobless rate reported at 13.4%.
- Separate ONS figures show a 16–24 unemployment rate of 15.3% in September, highlighting the scale of the challenge for younger workers.
- The statistics agency warns Labour Force Survey estimates are more volatile due to smaller sample sizes, and changes should be treated with additional caution.
- The government has appointed Alan Milburn to lead a review into rising youth inactivity, as commentary links weaker hiring to higher employer costs, tighter rules and planned minimum wage increases for younger workers, with NEET counts reported near one million when including those not looking for work.