The UK’s employment rate remained at a record high in the three months to November, despite Brexit concerns making employers anxious about hiring.
There were 31.80 million people in work between September to November, flat on the three months previously but 294,000 more than for a year earlier. The employment total hovered at its record high of 74.5 percent, up from 74 percent for the same period last year.
However the Office for National Statistics figure did show a drop in the number of people in work for the second time in a row, falling by 9,000 to just over 31.8 million.
ONS senior statistician David Freeman said:
“While employment is little changed on the quarter, the rate remains at an historical high. The rate at which pay is increasing continues to pick up in cash terms, though it remains moderate.”
Wage growth continued to grow in the three month period to November, with workers’ total earnings in the period rising by an annual 2.8 percent, the fastest pace since September 2015. Excluding bonuses, earnings rose by 2.7 percent year-on-year.