Number of UK workers on payrolls fell by more than 600,000 as lockdown hit economy

The number of UK workers on payrolls fell by more than 600,000 between March and May as lockdown hit Britain’s labour market, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The pandemic has had a major economic impact.The pandemic has had a major economic impact.
The pandemic has had a major economic impact.

UK workers on company payrolls slumped by more than 600,000 between March and May and unemployment claims soared by 1.6 million as the coronavirus lockdown hammered Britain’s labour market, official figures have revealed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said early estimates showed the number of paid employees dropped by 2.1% or 612,000 in May compared with March, while job vacancies also slumped to a record low last month.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jobless claims under Universal Credit jumped 23.3% month-on-month in May to 2.8 million and have rocketed 125.9% or 1.6 million since March, when the UK was placed in lockdown.

The grim ONS data also showed the number of people temporarily away from work, including furloughed workers, rose by six million at the end of March into April.

This saw hours worked each week tumbled by a record 94.2 million, or 8.9% year-on-year, in the three months to April, the ONS said.

But the UK jobless rate remained largely unchanged quarter-on-quarter at 3.9% in the three months to April.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS, said: “The slowdown in the economy is now visibly hitting the labour market, especially in terms of hours worked.

“Early indicators for May show that the number of employees on payrolls were down over 600,000 compared with March.

“The claimant count was up again, though not all of these people are necessarily unemployed.”

He added: “More detailed employment data up to April show a dramatic drop in the number of hours worked, which were down almost 9% in the latest period, partly due to a six million rise in people away from work, including those furloughed.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.