Real wages fall as UK cost of living squeeze bites; unemployment rate drops – business live | Business
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The UK’s unemployment rate has dropped again, as employers continue to add workers to their payroll… but wages are now lagging inflation again.
The jobless rate dropped to 4.1% in the September-November quarter, the Office for National Statistics reports. That’s down from 4.2% a month ago.
Payrolls continue to swell too — the ONS estimates that employers added 184,000 more staff in December, lifting payrolls to 409,000, or 1.4%, above their pre-pandemic levels.
All regions are now above pre-coronavirus levels, with Scotland having the largest percentage increase on the month.
UK payroll levels Photograph: ONS
Vacancies hit a record high, again – with…
