Employment levels slump as Reeves’ taxes bite May 13, 2025 Employment levels deteriorated in March, official data has suggested, in signs that Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £20bn tax raid on employers has squeezed firms’ profits. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the number of payrolled employees fell by 53,000 over the first three months of the year. The early estimate of [...]
Office for National Statistics chief resigns over ‘health issues’ May 9, 2025 The head of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has resigned because “ongoing health issues” mean he could not give the organisation the “full commitment” required to drive it forward. Sir Ian Diamond, who was appointed the UK’s national statistician in 2019, has stepped down with immediate effect, the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) said in [...]
Jobs market saw March boost ahead of ‘Awful April’ April 17, 2025 Job postings steadily increased in March in signs that employers have built some resilience ahead of tax hikes and sweeping cost rises in what has been labelled ’Awful April’. Active job postings grew by 3.3 per cent compared to the month before as London saw the second highest increase across the country, according to the [...]
Layoffs creating bigger pool of jobseekers, recruiters say April 11, 2025 More people were added to the large pool of jobseekers in March than at any point since the pandemic, according to recruiters, as high levels of redundancies are driving a “steeper rise” in staff availability. Employers have come under greater strain in the months since Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announced a £25bn national insurance tax raid [...]
Stats body aims to publish key jobs data in late 2026 April 10, 2025 The UK’s official statistics body has set a target of November 2026 for the reform of its flagship Labour Force Survey (LFS), which monitors the UK jobs market. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been dogged by several troubles in data gathering, prompting criticism from the Bank of England as well as an intervention [...]
Bank of England still on track to cut interest rates despite surging wages February 18, 2025 "Pay growth went up, but actually not quite as much as we were expecting," Andrew Bailey said at an event in Brussels.
Labour market ‘creaking rather than cracking’ following Budget February 18, 2025 There's been a growing air of pessimism around the labour market since Labour's maiden Budget, and with good reason.
Employer confidence heading in the ‘wrong direction’ as firms plan job cuts February 17, 2025 A new survey suggests that more firms are planning job cuts in the next quarter than at any time in the last decade, excluding the pandemic. The latest labour market outlook from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) paints a bleak picture of the labour market, as firms plan job cuts in response [...]
National insurance hike has ‘taken a bite’ out of London labour market February 14, 2025 Permanent placements made by recruitment firms fell for the sixth consecutive month in January, according to a survey from KPMG and the REC.
Labour market: Vacancies ‘tumble’ in January ahead of Labour’s tax raid February 10, 2025 Demand for staff fell at its greatest extent since August 2020, a new report from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said.