Every month, Learning and Work Institute produces detailed and timely analysis of the latest labour market statistics from ONS. Become a supporter to receive our monthly labour market briefing delivered to your inbox and navigate our labour market dashboard.
Responding to the labour market stats release by ONS on 18 August 2026, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:
“The labour market is relatively flat overall. The bigger picture is that 3.9 million people are out of work and say they want a job, up by 600,000 compared to two years ago. Worryingly, employment in retail and hospitality is down most sharply, contributing to the 1.3 million young people not in work or full-time education, up one third since the pandemic. A growing economy is needed to restart the stalled engines of job growth, alongside offering people who are out of work more help to find jobs.”
Contact our press office