Falls in employment and vacancies were smaller than earlier this year, suggesting the labour market is flattening rather than crashing. But sectoral differences remain with payroll employment down 110,000 in retail and hospitality compared to a year ago, sectors where rises in the minimum wage mean earnings growth is relatively high. Hitting the Government's 80% employment rate target would require an extra two million people in work, meaning rapidly expanding employment support and working with employers to widen their recruitment strategies.