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 16 December 2025, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute, said:
“Further worrying signs in the labour market with further falls in payroll jobs. Young people, with over one million not in work or full-time education, are among those most affected, and retail and hospitality have shed 129k payroll jobs in a year. The rise in unemployment to its highest since the pandemic partly reflects a fall in economic inactivity. While this suggests more people are looking for work, it also indicates some are struggling to find work. We need a twin approach of providing more help to find work and creating the conditions for employers to create jobs.”
Contact our press office