Vacancy numbers fell quarter on quarter (QoQ) for a record 18th consecutive period in the October-December period, down by 5 per cent since the July-September quarter, with vacancies falling in 12 of the 18 industrial sectors.
The sectors that witnessed the largest quarterly decreases in the number of vacancies included wholesale and retail trade and transport and storage, according to a release from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Sixty-nine thousand working days were lost in November last year due to labour disputes across the country, the lowest number of working days lost since May 2022.
The estimate of payrolled employees in the United Kingdom for December last year decreased by 24,000 on the revised November figure to 30.2 million.
An alternative estimate published by ONS for the September-November quarter last year shows the UK employment rate (for those aged 16 to 64 years) increased by 0.1 percentage points QoQ to 75.8 per cent.
The unemployment rate, according to the alternative estimate, was largely unchanged at 4.2 per cent QoQ. The economic inactivity rate (for those aged 16 to 64 years) decreased by 0.1 percentage points QoQ to 20.8 per cent.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
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