According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the unemployment rate in the UK rose to 3.9% in the three months leading up to March, up from 3.8% in the

previous quarter. Darren Morgan, Director of Economic Statistics at the ONS, highlighted that the rise in employment and unemployment was primarily driven by men.

Morgan stated that the number of individuals who are neither working nor actively seeking employment continued to decline, although the number of people unable to work due to long-term sickness reached a new record high. Additionally, the number of individuals on employers' payrolls experienced a decrease in April for the first time in over two years. However, this is an early estimate that may be revised later.

Despite the growth in wages, average earnings are still being outpaced by rising prices, resulting in a squeeze on people's purchasing power. The number of days lost to strikes also increased in March, with education and health sectors accounting for the majority of strikes during the month. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.