Employment hits all-time high as manufacturing recovers
ONS says 32.4 million people were in work in second quarter of 2018
More people in the UK are in employment than ever before, new figures show.
The Office for National Statistics says 32.4 million people had jobs in the second quarter of 2018 – representing an employment rate of 75.7%. The unemployment rate also fell slightly, to 4.2%.
There could be further good news to come: an unprecedented number of job vacancies were recorded between April and June, suggesting the employment rate will rise further over the summer.
Subscribe to 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.
The upswing comes as the UK’s manufacturing sector shows further encouraging signs of recovery. A week before it revealed the employment statistics, the ONS announced that manufacturing output had increased by 0.4% in May.
Output also rose year-on-year, by 1.1%. The increase, while not as strong as many had predicted, was evidence of a recovery that was anticipated by order book figures for the second quarter.
A third of British manufacturers booked increased orders in the second quarter of the year, according to figures from the Confederation of British Industry. The CBI also found that 29% of firms had experienced an increase in output over with the first quarter.
Find out how Barclays Corporate Banking’s industry experts are supporting clients to achieve their ambitions at barclayscorporate.com
Take our survey for your chance to win £100 John Lewis vouchers
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 reflective podcasts you may have missed this fall
The Week Recommends Shining a light on the NYPD, Hollywood's rock groupies of the '60s and '70s, and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Penny acquitted in NYC subway choking death
Speed Read Daniel Penny was found not guilty of homicide in the 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Labour shortages: the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right now
Speed Read Britain is currently in the grip of an ‘employment crisis’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will the energy war hurt Europe more than Russia?
Speed Read European Commission proposes a total ban on Russian oil
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will Elon Musk manage to take over Twitter?
Speed Read The world’s richest man has launched a hostile takeover bid worth $43bn
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Shoppers urged not to buy into dodgy Black Friday deals
Speed Read Consumer watchdog says better prices can be had on most of the so-called bargain offers
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ryanair: readying for departure from London
Speed Read Plans to delist Ryanair from the London Stock Exchange could spell ‘another blow’ to the ‘dwindling’ London market
By The Week Staff Published
-
Out of fashion: Asos ‘curse’ has struck again
Speed Read Share price tumbles following the departure of CEO Nick Beighton
By The Week Staff Published
-
Universal Music’s blockbuster listing: don’t stop me now…
Speed Read Investors are betting heavily that the ‘boom in music streaming’, which has transformed Universal’s fortunes, ‘still has a long way to go’
By The Week Staff Published
-
EasyJet/Wizz: battle for air supremacy
Speed Read ‘Wizz’s cheeky takeover bid will have come as a blow to the corporate ego’
By The Week Staff Published