UK unemployment has fallen to 4.7% in the three months to August, down from 4.9% in the three months to July, the Office for National Statistics reported on 20 October. These are the last jobs figures before the Chancellor, John Healey, delivers the Budget on 28 October.
The fall was larger than forecasts had suggested. The ONS put the number of unemployed people at 1.712 million. It cautioned that its estimates are still affected by problems with survey data collection.
Payrolled employees rose by 13,000 in September to 30.3 million, against expectations of a fall. That figure is provisional. Vacancies fell by 21,000, or 2.9%, to 691,000 in July to September.
Youth unemployment among 16 to 24 year olds stands at 715,000, according to the Work Foundation. That is 28,000 lower than in the previous quarter but 54,000 higher than a year earlier.
The British Chambers of Commerce urged Healey to cut National Insurance costs for young workers and to offer a "tax reduction package" for all firms, PA reports. Patrick Milnes, the BCC's head of people and work policy, said:
"While it's welcome that unemployment eased slightly in the three months to August, the jobless figure remains stubbornly high at 4.7 per cent"