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| UK job vacancies fall for ninth time in a row | UK job vacancies fall for ninth time in a row |
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| Job vacancies in the UK have fallen for the ninth time in a row as companies blamed economic pressures for holding back on hiring new staff. | Job vacancies in the UK have fallen for the ninth time in a row as companies blamed economic pressures for holding back on hiring new staff. |
| From January to the end of March, the number of vacancies fell by 47,000 from the previous quarter to 1,105,000, official figures showed. | From January to the end of March, the number of vacancies fell by 47,000 from the previous quarter to 1,105,000, official figures showed. |
| Despite this, the ONS said vacancy numbers remained at "very high levels". | Despite this, the ONS said vacancy numbers remained at "very high levels". |
| The latest earnings figures also showed that pay continued to lag rising prices. | The latest earnings figures also showed that pay continued to lag rising prices. |
| Annual growth in regular pay, which excludes bonuses, was 6.6% between December and February. | Annual growth in regular pay, which excludes bonuses, was 6.6% between December and February. |
| However, when taking into account the rate of price increases - which is running at a near 40-year high - regular pay fell by 2.3%, the ONS said. | However, when taking into account the rate of price increases - which is running at a near 40-year high - regular pay fell by 2.3%, the ONS said. |
| The unemployment rate rose to 3.8% in the three months to February, up from 3.7% in the previous three months. | |
| The ONS figures also showed that 348,000 working days were lost to strike action in February, up from 210,000 in January, with the majority of strikes in the education sector. | |
| Reacting to the latest figures, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "While unemployment remains close to historic lows, rising prices continue to eat into pay cheques which is why halving inflation this year is one of our top economic priorities." | |
| However, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government was holding the UK back. "Their lack of ambition for Britain is leaving real wages down, families worse off, hundreds of thousands fewer people in work and our economy lagging". | |
| Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney said: "The Conservative party's gross mismanagement of the British economy has led to inflation rising and growth plummeting." | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Unemployment | Unemployment |
| Employment | Employment |
| UK economy | UK economy |
| Pay | Pay |
| Office for National Statistics | Office for National Statistics |