UK payrolled employees fell by 78,000 (0.3 per cent) in March 2025 from the previous month and by 70,000 (0.2 per cent) year on year, bringing the total to 30.3 million, provisional data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. The UK employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 stood at 75.1 per cent in the three months to February 2025, up on both the previous quarter and the year. The unemployment rate was estimated at 4.4 per cent, higher than a year ago but stable quarter-on-quarter. Economic inactivity also declined to 21.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the UK Claimant Count rose to 1.766 million in March, registering increases both monthly and annually. Job vacancies fell for a 33rd consecutive quarter, down by 26,000 to 781,000 in the first quarter of 2025. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
