Employment
Rate stays at 74.5% in 3 months to Feb 2006
The trend in the employment rate is falling while the trend in the unemployment rate is increasing. The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefit has increased. The number of job vacancies has fallen. Growth in average earnings excluding bonuses is unchanged while growth in average earnings including bonuses has increased.
The employment rate for people of working age was 74.5 per cent for the three months ending in February 2006. This is unchanged over the quarter but down 0.4 over the year.
The number of people in employment for the three months ending in February 2006 was 28.84 million. This is the highest figure since comparable records began in 1971. Employment increased by 76,000 over the quarter and by 147,000 over the year. The quarterly increase in employment was mainly due to more women employees.
Total hours worked per week were 926.1 million, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1971. This is up 4.3 million over the quarter and up 3.6 million over the year.
The unemployment rate was 5.1 per cent, up 0.1 over the quarter and up 0.4 over the year. The number of unemployed people increased by 30,000 over the quarter and by 120,000 over the year, to reach 1.56 million. The quarterly increase in unemployment was due to more unemployed women.
The claimant count was 937,600 in March 2006, up 12,600 on the previous month and up 106,200 on the year.
The inactivity rate for people of working age was 21.3 per cent for the three months ending in February 2006, down 0.1 over the quarter but up 0.1 over the year. The number of economically inactive people of working age fell by 13,000 over the quarter, to reach 7.93 million.
The annual rate of growth in average earnings (the AEI), excluding bonuses, was 3.8 per cent in February 2006, unchanged from the previous month. Including bonuses it was 4.2 per cent, up from 3.6 per cent the previous month.
The average number of job vacancies for the three months to March 2006 was 593,200. This was down 3,300 on the previous quarter and down 43,300 over the year.
The redundancy rate for the three months to February 2006 was 5.7 per 1,000 employees, up 0.1 from the previous quarter.
Source: Office for National Statistics
Notes: People in employment, unemployed and economically inactive make up the total household population aged 16 and over, measured through the Labour Force Survey on a consistent basis since 1971.
Working age is defined as 16-64 for men and 16-59 for women.
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Labour market overview