• Unemployment is 1,329,000, up by 36,000 from last month’s published figure (quarterly headline is up by 60,000) and the unemployment rate 3.9%, has risen by 0.1 percentage points on last month and by 0.1 percentage points on last quarter.
• The ONS figure for claimant unemployed is 1,572,400, up by 46,700 on last month's figure.
• The number of workless young people (not in employment, full-time education or training) is 983,000, down by 18,000 on the quarter, representing 14.4% of the youth population (down by 0.3 percentage points).
• Youth unemployment (including students) is 482,000, up by 11,000 on the quarter.
• Vacancies in Feb-Apr 2023 decreased by 31,000 to 1,083,000 (in the ONS official series), marking the eleventh month in a row of declining job vacancies.
• There are now 1.2 unemployed people per vacancy.
• The employment rate is 75.9% (up by 0.1 percentage points on last month’s published figure and up by 0.2 percentage points in the preferred quarterly measure).

Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at the Learning and Work Institute, said:

‘Real wages have fallen for 11 months in a row, driven by high inflation. Inflation is likely to ease in the months ahead, providing some respite for hard-hit households. But the longer-term picture is that average wages are £11,000 per year lower than if pre-financial crisis trends had continued. To end these lost years, we need to restart growth.

Rises in employment and falls in economic inactivity are welcome and may indicate an easing of labour shortages. But worryingly the number of people economically inactive due to long-term sickness hit another record high. The UK's employment rate recovery remains the slowest in the G7. Only one in ten out-of-work disabled and older people get help to find work each year. That needs to change.’

Helen Gray, Chief Economist at the Learning and Work Institute, said:

‘The first quarter of 2023 has seen the highest net number of people moving from economic inactivity to employment since records began in the early 2000s. The 0.4ppt reduction in the rate of economic inactivity is to be welcomed, but the numbers economically inactive due to long-term sickness rose by 86,000 between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 and now stand at 2.55 million - the highest level seen since records began 30 years ago. Action is needed to reverse the rising levels of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness which have emerged since the pandemic.’

Labour Market Briefing

Employment increased by 182,000 between October to December 2022 and January to March 2023. In the last 12 months employment has risen by 363,000.

Unemployment rose by 60,000 between October to December 2022 and January to March 2023. Over this period, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 3.9% in the most recent quarter.

Economic inactivity reduced by 156,000 between October to December 2022 and January to March 2023. The inactivity rate has fallen by 0.4 percentage points to 21% in the most recent quarter.

The national claimant count is up by 46,700 to 1,572,400.

Youth unemployment is up by 11,000. There are 482,000 unemployed young people, and 331,000 (4.8% of the youth population) who are unemployed and not in full-time education.

Self-employment is up by 150,000 this year. The number of employees rose by 194,000 over the year. Involuntary part-time employment increased by 21,000 this quarter to 0.8 million, 9.5% of all part-time workers.

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