Why has employment fallen at fastest rate in four years?
Experts blame store closures and slowing economy for the drop

Analysts have blamed the slowing economy and shop closures as employment in the UK fell at its fastest rate in four years.
The Office for National Statistics said employment had fallen by 58,000 during the third quarter of 2019 - the biggest drop since May 2015.
The ONS said the declining number of people working in retail after high-profile collapses and high street store closures had been a significant contributor to the employment slump.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Chains including LK Bennett and Karen Millen have gone into administration this year, and other retailers, including Topshop owner Arcadia, “have been forced to seek legal agreements with their landlords to shut stores and slash their rent bills to avoid folding”, Sky News says.
Chris Williamson, chief economist at IHS/Markit, told The Guardian that the new data is “a warning of how the growing economic malaise is feeding through to the labour market”.
UK wage growth has also slowed down in the three months to September, according to the latest figures from the ONS.
Total pay continued to outstrip inflation, but the rate of growth slowed to 3.6% from the 3.8% growth in October. Analysts said the average weekly pay, in real terms before tax, for people in the UK was £470 per week.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Independent says that further pay rises are likely to be constrained by the UK’s “lacklustre productivity growth”.
It is also thought that the latest data makes an interest rates cut more likely. Reuters says that falls in the number of people in work, vacancies and the pace of wage growth added to signs of slowdown that “prompted two Bank of England officials to vote for an interest rate cut last week”.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
-
Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly Tuttle
Feature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
-
Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!
Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
-
Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitions
Feature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
-
Why 'faceless bots' are interviewing job hunters
In The Spotlight Artificial intelligence is taking over a crucial part of recruitment
-
Champagne problems: migrant vineyard workers treated 'like slaves'
Under the Radar Convictions spotlight the 'exploitation and misery' at the heart of the 'glamorous' industry
-
How many people are working illegally in the UK?
The Explainer Government vows 'nationwide blitz' on illicit workforce believed to number in the hundreds of thousands
-
What is 'career catfishing' and why are Gen Z doing it?
Under The Radar Successful job applicants are increasingly disappearing before their first day
-
Why bosses are hiring etiquette coaches for Gen Z staff
Under The Radar Employers claim young workers are disengaged at interviews and don't know how to behave in the office
-
Work life: Caution settles on the job market
Feature The era of job-hopping for bigger raises is coming to an end as workers face shrinking salaries and fewer opportunities to move up
-
How could stock market slides affect you?
Today's Big Question Pensions, prices and jobs at risk as Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' measures take hold
-
How personality tests are locking autistic people out of jobs
Under The Radar Experts say psychometric tests make job applications challenging for neurodivergent people