More vacancies now than before pandemic as unemployment rate drops slightly, ONS figures show | Latest news

There are more vacancies now than there were before the pandemic, official figures show, as unemployment slowly declines after a year of job losses.

The number of jobs open between April and June 2021 was 77,500 above its pre-pandemic level from January to March 2020, according to the Official for National Statistics (ONS).

There were 862,000 vacant positions between April and June, the ONS said. It is the first time that it has reached such a high level in 15 months.

“Vacancies exceeding pre-COVID levels are a further sign of the return of demand and of employers creating jobs,” said Matthew Percival, director of people and skills at CBI, the professional body that represents more than 190 000 British companies.

“Yet the ability of companies to meet this demand and sustain the recovery is being tested by staff shortages,” he added. “As COVID cases increase, businesses face the double challenge of hiring workers and more and more employees are self-isolating. “

At the same time, unemployment fell slightly between March and May 2021, according to official figures, with an increase in both employment and the number of hours worked.

The UK unemployment rate is currently 4.8%, almost 1% higher than before the start of the pandemic, the ONS said, but slightly lower than the previous quarter.

The labor market has shown signs of recovery since December 2020; currently there are 32 million people employed in the UK, an increase of 25,000 over the quarter.

The estimated number of unemployed aged 16 and over was 1.6 million, down 68,000 for the quarter.

While the magnitude of unemployment throughout the pandemic was similar for men and women, the employment rate for men showed some initial recovery, while the employment rate for women remains moderate, according to the ‘ONS.

“As we approach the final stages of reopening the economy, I look forward to seeing more people at work and the economy continues to rebound,” Chancellor Rishi said …