Real earnings decreased by 0.2 per cent
Official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of people in work in the UK fell for the second month in a row, suggesting employers are turning more cautious as Brexit nears.
Between August and October, there were 32.08m people in work, 56,000 fewer than in the three months before. The number of people aged 16 to 64 in work fell by 70,000 but this was partially offset by a 14,000 increase in the number of people in work aged 65 and over.
The employment rate fell from 75.3 per cent over the three months to September to 75.1 per cent over the three months to October. But strong growth in employment in earlier months means there were still 325,000 more people in work over the three months to October than in the same months a year earlier.
ONS also stated that workers’ total earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by an annual 2.3 per cent in the three months to October, compared with 2.2 per cent in the three months to September.
Real earnings, which take into account the cost of living, fell by 0.4 per cent, excluding bonuses.
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