Unemployment falls mainly due to more full-time women workers

Unemployment has fallen to 4.3%, with the annual increase in the number of people in employment mainly due to more women in full-time employment, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.

The ONS says there were 1.44 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work) between May and August, 52,000 fewer than for March to May 2017 and 215,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

Some 79.6% of men aged from 16 to 64 were in work; up from 79.4% for a year earlier and 70.7% of women aged from 16 to 64 were in work, up from 69.7% for a year earlier. The ONS says the increase in the employment rate for women is partly due to ongoing changes to the State Pension age for women resulting in fewer women retiring between the ages of 60 and 65.

The number of employees went up by 258,000, compared to a rise of 70,000 in the number of self employed people.

The ONS says latest estimates show that average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain in real terms (that is, adjusted for price inflation) fell by 0.3% including bonuses, and fell by 0.4% excluding bonuses, compared with a year earlier.

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