ONS latest | Unemployment rises & vacancies fall in latest Labour Market Outlook

Employee search magnifying glass illustration

The UK jobs market showed further signs of weakening this week as the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in the three months to April 2025 - its highest level since late 2021 - while the number of payrolled employees fell sharply.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), provisional data shows a drop of 109,000 payrolled employees in May, following a revised fall of 55,000 in April.

Continue reading for FREE!

Sign up for a myGrapevine account to get:

  • Unlimited access to News content
  • The latest Features, Columns & Opinions
  • A full range of specialist HR newsletters to choose from

Welcome Back

* By creating an account you agree that you have read and agree to our Terms and Conditions and that Executive Grapevine International Ltd and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content and products. You will also be added to the HR Grapevine newsletter mailing list.