UK labour market

The average earnings index fell to 2.4% compared to 2.8% in the previous period. While the unemployment rate was steady at 5.3%, employment declined by 63 000 according to Bloomberg. 

Other key points include: 

• There were 22.76 million people working full-time, 352,000 more than for a year earlier. There were 8.27 million people working part-time, little changed compared with a year earlier.
• The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were in work) was 73.4%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 but higher than for a year earlier (72.8%).
• There were 1.85 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 25,000 more than for January to March 2015 but 221,000 fewer than for a year earlier.
• There were 1.01 million unemployed men, 130,000 fewer than for a year earlier. There were 838,000 unemployed women, 92,000 fewer than for a year earlier.
• The unemployment rate was 5.6%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 but lower than for a year earlier (6.3%). The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labour force (those in work plus those unemployed) who were unemployed.
• There were 8.99 million people aged from 16 to 64 who were economically inactive (not working and not seeking or available to work), little changed compared with January to March 2015 and with a year earlier.
• The inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were economically inactive) was 22.1%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 and with a year earlier.
• Comparing April to June 2015 with a year earlier, pay for employees in Great Britain increased by 2.4% including bonuses and by 2.8% excluding bonuses.

The full report can be found here.