UK unemployment rate hits five-year high of 5.2% as wage growth cools
Guardian3 days
UK Unemployment Hits 5-Year High at 5.2%
UK Unemployment Hits 5-Year High at 5.2%
Does rising unemployment signal a healthier labor market or has Labour condemned young people to worklessness?
Above: A general view outside a job Centre employment office in Newcastle Under Lyme on Nov. 2, 2020. Image credit: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
The Spin
RisingThese unemploymentlatest figures actually signalssignal a healthier labor market, as hundreds of thousands of previously inactive workers return to seekseeking jobs rather than mass layoffs occurring. This expanded workforce eases recruitment pressures, moderates wage inflation and supports sustainable growth while unemployment and inactivity rates remain below the 25-year average.
Labour's policies have condemned young people to worklessness, with youth unemployment hitting an 11-year high of 16.1% by late 2025. Massive National Insurance hikes, above-inflation minimum wage increases and the burdensome Employment Rights Act have madeforced employers to stop hiring entirely, pricing an entire generation out of their first jobs and future opportunities.
Metaculus Prediction
There is a 73% chance that there will be a Labour Party leadership election before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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All rights reserved.
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