More than a fifth of UK adults still not looking for work

More than a 5th of UK working-age adults are inactive not successful enactment oregon actively looking for work, authoritative figures suggest.

The UK economical inactivity complaint was 21.5% successful the 3 months to January, marking a driblet from some the erstwhile 4th and year, and is comparatively debased compared with trends since 2009.

However, the fig of radical not looking for enactment has been brought into crisp absorption arsenic the authorities brings successful plans to effort to boost UK economical growth.

The figures travel aft arguable plans to chopped sickness and disablement benefits were announced this week, and up of adjacent week's Spring Statement erstwhile Chancellor Rachel Reeves volition springiness an update connected her economical plans.

The authorities announced sweeping cuts to sickness and disablement benefits this week aimed astatine redeeming £5bn a twelvemonth by 2030.

It says the measures volition promote radical to enactment portion protecting those who cannot.

But the reforms person faced fierce disapproval from Labour backbenchers, unions and charities, who accidental the changes could propulsion much disabled radical into poverty.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the latest employment figures "demonstrate the standard of the situation we're inactive facing to get Britain moving again".

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said its jobs figures should beryllium treated with caution due to the fact that of debased effect rates to its employment survey.

Nevertheless, it said economical inactivity - wherever radical are retired of enactment and not looking for enactment - has mostly been falling since comparable records began successful 1971.

It accrued during the Covid pandemic, and has fluctuated astir this accrued rate.

However, economical inactivity for each property groups fell implicit the twelvemonth by 0.6%, and fell 0.2% connected the 4th mostly due to the fact that of much radical aged 35 to 49 looking for work, the ONS said.

In its labour marketplace release, the ONS said wage maturation continued to outpace inflation.

Wages excluding bonuses grew 5.9% successful the quarter, compared with the erstwhile year, with retail, hospitality and operation wages seeing beardown growth.

The Bank of England watches the wage and jobs information intimately erstwhile making decisions connected involvement rates.

The cardinal slope volition beryllium announcing its latest rates determination astatine midday erstwhile it is widely expected to clasp rates astatine 4.5%.