UK ONS Jobs numbers covering first quarter (so first week or so of lockdown) show no real impact in headline numbers apart from vacancies..
Employment at joint record of 76.6%
Unemployment rate at 3.9%
Vacancies down 170k to 637k
Employment at joint record of 76.6%
Unemployment rate at 3.9%
Vacancies down 170k to 637k
Claimant Count did shoot up though in April to 2.1 million up 69.1% ... and nearly doubled in South West, up 97%, up 88% in NI, 85% in SE, 77% in Wales, 67% in NW England & Scotland, 63% in London, 53% in NE
Average hours worked fell v sharply to under 25 hours per person in first quarter, as a result of late March shutdowns - normally 32-33 hours
Total number of persons “temporarily away from paid work” spiked up to 7.4 million
Bottom line - can see the start of the Covid crisis hitting the jobs markets under the hood of these figures, as you would expect, and as everyone saw with own eyes. But impact on top line numbers limited at this point.
Without furlough scheme would have soared.
Without furlough scheme would have soared.
Claimant Count at 2.1 million highest for 24 years - though now does not just measure people claiming because of unemployment
Universal Credit claims spike by week
And by day in month to April 9th
And by day in month to April 9th
Starts to Universal Credit... 1.2m
Covid crisis Universal Credit starts sees April spikes in proportion claimed by 35-59 year olds
