Category: Latest News / Updates

 Unemployment amongst young people remains high, particularly the youngest age group (aged 16-17 = 34.7%/ aged 18-24 = 13.7%).

The employment rate remained similar at 75.1%, 34.303 million people in employment. The economic inactivity rate decreased slightly to 20.8% which is 286,000 lower than 12 months ago. 9.021 million people are economically inactive, lower than last year but 391,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels. Vacancies increased slightly on the quarter to 734,000, and 69,000 lower than 12 months ago. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in September to November 2025, up from the previous quarter and the previous year. Payrolled employees for December 2025 decreased by 43,000 to 30.2 million and decreased by 184,000 over the year. It is still 1.21 million higher than pre-pandemic levels. Annual growth in regular pay without bonus was 4.5% and with bonus was 4.7%. Adjusted for inflation, annual growth in regular pay was 0.6% and total pay was 0.8%. The claimant count increased on the month to 1.677 million but decreased on the year. This is the measure of those receiving benefit principally due to being unemployed. Redundancies were 4.9 per thousand employees, higher than last quarter and 12 months ago. 15,000 working days were lost because of labour disputes in November 2025, up from 39,000 the previous month. Over half were in the health and social care sector.

The Government has announced increases to minimum wage rates from April 2026. The National Living Wage, the minimum wage rate for all workers aged 21 and over, will rise by 4.1 per cent to £12.71. The minimum wage for 18-20 year olds will increase to £10.85 and the rate for 16-17 year olds will increase to £8.00.

In announcing these increases, the Government has accepted in full the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission.

The increase in the National Living Wage will ensure a real-terms pay rise for low-paid workers. It will meet the Government’s aim to ensure the rate does not drop below two-thirds of median earnings. The increase to the 18-20 Year Old Rate makes progress towards alignment with the National Living Wage.

The rates announced today are:

	NMW Rate	Increase (£)	Increase (%)
National Living Wage (21 and over)	£12.71	50p	4.1
18-20 Year Old Rate	£10.85	85p	8.5
16-17 Year Old Rate	£8.00	45p	6.0
Apprentice Rate	£8.00	45p	6.0
Accommodation Offset	£11.10	44p	4.1

• The unemployment rate increased from the previous quarter to 4.7% – up to 1.673 million people unemployed.
• Unemployment amongst young people aged 18-24 has fallen by 0.5% on the quarter but remains high at 12.2%.
• The employment rate increased slightly to 75.2%, 34.1 million people in employment. This is up on the quarter and the year.
• The economic inactivity rate is slightly down on the quarter at 21% and 375,000 lower than 12 months ago.
• 9.085 million people are economically inactive, lower than last year but 549,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels.
• Vacancies fell to 727,000, the 36^th consecutive quarterly decline with vacancies decreasing in 14 of the 19 industry sectors.
• The early estimate of payrolled employees for June 2025 decreased by 178,000 (0.6%) on the year and by 41,000 (0.1%) on the month to 30.3 million
• Annual growth in regular pay for both with and without bonus was 5%. Adjusted for inflation, annual growth in regular pay was 1.1% and total pay was 1%.
• The claimant count increased on the month and on the year to 1.743 million. This is the measure of those receiving benefit principally due to being unemployed.
• Redundancies increased to 3.9 per thousand employees, slightly down on last quarter but 0.5 per thousand up on 12 months ago.

37,000 working days were lost because of labour disputes in May 2025, 10,000 fewer than the previous month.

We had a lovely morning visiting Oak Furrows in Wiltshire today to drop off donations which the Direct Staff have been collecting over the last couple of weeks.

Oak Furrows do some fantastic work with animals and wildlife within the Wiltshire area and to see the care they give injured animals and work they do to release animals safely back to the wild is amazing.

As a local business we know how important it is to support the community and help where we can and its been an absolute pleasure in able to help such a lovely charitable organisation.

If you would like to check out what this fantastic charity does and donate to them, then head on over to their website.

https://rspcaoandf.org.uk