UK worker numbers bounced back in August to pre-pandemic levels, while job vacancies hit a record high as the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis continues, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics.
The number of workers on payrolls increased by 241,000 from August to 29.1m, while the number of job vacancies in the June to August period rose to a new record high of 1.03m, with the biggest jump in hiring seen in hotels and restaurants, up 57,600.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% in July from 4.7% the month before, in line with analysts’ expectations.
In the three months to July, average earnings fell to 8.3% from 8.8%.
ONS deputy national statistician Jonathan Athow said: “Early estimates from payroll data suggest that in August the total number of employees is around the same level as before the pandemic, though our surveys show well over a million are still on furlough.
“However, this recovery isn’t even: in hard-hit areas such as London and sectors such as hospitality and arts and leisure, the numbers of workers remain well down on pre-pandemic levels.
“The overall employment rate continues to recover, particularly among groups such as young workers who were hard hit at the outset of the pandemic, while unemployment has fallen.
“Vacancies reached a new record high. Not surprisingly, this is driven above all by hospitality, the sector with the highest proportion of employers reporting their job openings are hard to fill.”
