UK employment sees largest quarterly rise since 1989

The employment rate in the UK rose 0.3% or 184,000 between the first and second quarters of this year, the largest quarterly increase since 1989.

The percentage of people employed in the UK is now 70.5%, the Office for National Statistics estimates. Employment is up 104,000 on the year to 507,000 lower than two years previously. The rise was largely driven by part time workers, the ONS says. UK unemployment fell by 0.2% to 7.8%, with a total of 2.46 million people out of work. However, the number of long-term unemployed rose, with 33,000 more people out of work for more than 12 months. The total number is now 796,000, the highest figure since the three months to March 1997. There was also a 1.3% annual growth in total pay betwe...