July Labour Market Statistics: Comment from the Institute for Employment Studies

IES News

21 Jul 2021

Commenting on today’s Labour Market Statistics, IES Director Tony Wilson said:

“Today’s figures show that the jobs recovery continued to pick up pace through spring as restrictions eased. As we expected, the single-month estimate of job vacancies for June was the highest figure ever recorded, smashing the previous record and driven by rises across nearly all industries. Payrolled employment also saw its strongest ever growth, with young people particularly benefiting.  However despite this good news, long-term unemployment continues to rise – hitting its highest in more than five years, with long-term unemployment for older workers now at its highest since 2014. There are now more unemployed people than there are those still on full furlough, and with the economy creating jobs we need to be doing far better at helping unemployed people to fill them. If we don’t, then we’re risking a two speed recovery with those who lost their jobs last year being left behind.”

Read the detailed IES Labour Market Statistics briefing note here