The following is an unedited transcript of the news release from the UK National Statistics.

There has been a fall in both the number of people in employment and the employment rate. The number of unemployed people, the unemployment rate and the claimant count have all increased. The number of inactive people of working age has increased but the inactivity rate is unchanged. The number of vacancies has fallen. Growth in average earnings excluding bonuses is unchanged but earnings growth including bonuses has fallen.

In the latest reference period the working age employment rate was 74.4 per cent, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarter. The number of people in employment decreased by 99,000 over the quarter. The unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarter. The number of unemployed people increased by 140,000 over the quarter. The claimant count was 980,900, up 36,500 from the previous month. The number of vacancies was 589,000, down 40,000 from the previous quarter.

The earnings annual growth rate (including bonuses) was 3.3 per cent, down 0.1 on the previous period. The earnings annual growth rate(excluding bonuses) was 3.6 per cent, unchanged on the previous period.

Employment

The working age employment rate was 74.4 per cent in the three months to September 2008, down 0.4 percentage points from the three months to June 2008 and down 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The employment level was 29.41 million in the three months to September 2008, down 99,000 from the three months to June 2008 but up 134,000 on a year earlier.

The number of people in full-time employment was 21.91 million in the three months to September 2008, down 106,000 from the three months to June 2008. Of this total, 14.03 million were men, down 104,000 over the quarter, and 7.88 million were women, down 2,000 over the quarter.

The number of people in part-time employment was 7.50 million in the three months to September 2008, up 7,000 from the three months to June 2008. Of this total, 1.83 million were men and 5.67 million were women.

The number of people in public sector employment was 5.77 million in June 2008, up 13,000 from March 2008. The number of people in private sector employment was 23.77 million, down 29,000 from March 2008.

Workforce Jobs

There were 31.68 million workforce jobs in June 2008, up 26,000 over the quarter and up 142,000 on a year earlier. All sectors, except manufacturing and construction, showed increases in jobs over the year. The sector showing the largest annual increase in jobs was education, health and public administration, which increased by 43,000.

Production industries employee jobs

There were 2.86 million employee jobs in manufacturing industries in the three months to September 2008, down 55,000 on a year earlier. Over the same period employee jobs in mining, energy and water supply industries increased by 4,000 to reach 170,000.

Hours
Total hours worked per week were 940.9 million in the three months to September 2008, up 0.9 million from the three months to June 2008. Average weekly hours worked in the three months to September 2008 were 32.0, up 0.1 from the three months to June 2008.

Unemployment

The unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in the three months to September 2008, up 0.4 percentage points from the three months to June 2008 and up 0.5 percentage points from a year earlier. The unemployment level was 1.82 million in the three months to September 2008, up 140,000 from the three months to June 2008 and up 182,000 from a year earlier.

The number of unemployed men was 1.07 million in the three months to September 2008, up 85,000 from the three months to June 2008. The number of unemployed women was 750,000 in the three months to September 2008, up 55,000 from the three months to June 2008.

The number of people unemployed for over 12 months was 435,000 in the three months to September 2008, up 20,000 from the three months to June 2008. Unemployment for 18 to 24 year olds was 579,000 in the three months to September 2008, up 53,000 from the three months to June 2008.
Claimant count

The claimant count in October 2008 was 980,900, up 36,500 on the previous month and up 154,800 on a year earlier. The claimant count rate in October 2008 was 3.0 per cent, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month and up 0.5 percentage points from a year earlier.

Economically inactive