News · 21 April 2026
UK unemployment drops to 4.9% but vacancies keep falling
British workers got a mixed jobs report that masks real weakness underneath. The ONS said this morning that unemployment unexpectedly fell to 4.9% in the three months to February, down from 5.2%, and the lowest since last summer. Regular wage growth slowed to 3.6%, its weakest in over five years. Payrolls fell by 11,000 in March and vacancies hit a near five-year low of 711,000.
Reported by ONS · How we write briefs