Back to News
Surprise drop in UK unemployment to 4.7% as John Healey’s first budget looms
UK NewsPoliticsBusiness•October 20, 2026 at 9:39 AMNational

Surprise drop in UK unemployment to 4.7% as John Healey’s first budget looms

By Phillip Inman Senior economics writer and Graeme Wearden•The Guardian - UK News

Latest ONS data presents mixed picture amid slump in job vacancies and analysts warning labour market is ‘running on idle’Business live – news updatesHealey to reject calls to raise CGT in budgetUnemployment in the UK has fallen unexpectedly in the final snapshot of the jobs market before John Healey’s first budget next week.The jobless rate fell to 4.7% in the three months to August, from 4.9% according to the Office for National Statistics. City economists had forecast a rise to 5%. Continue reading...

Latest ONS data presents mixed picture amid slump in job vacancies and analysts warning labour market is ‘running on idle’

Unemployment in the UK has fallen unexpectedly in the final snapshot of the jobs market before John Healey’s first budget next week.

The jobless rate fell to 4.7% in the three months to August, from 4.9% according to the Office for National Statistics. City economists had forecast a rise to 5%.

Continue reading...