The Economics and Statistics Division maintains archives of previous publications for accountability purposes, but makes no updates to keep these documents current with the latest data revisions from Statistics Canada. As a result, information in older documents may not be accurate. Please exercise caution when referring to older documents. For the latest information and historical data, please contact the individual listed to the right.
<--- Return to Archive
For additional information relating to this article, please contact:
December 17, 2019UK LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2019 
The UK Office for National Statistics reported today that the unemployment rate for the three-month period August 2019 to October 2019 was 3.8 per cent, little changed from the previous three month period. Over the last six years, there has been a steady decline in the UK unemployment rate, falling to lows not seen since 1974.
Compared with the previous three-month period (May-Jul19), the UK labour force (+0.03 per cent) and employment (+0.1 per cent) were each up slightly.
The UK unemployment rate was 4.1 per cent in Aug-Oct18. Over the last year, the UK labour force has increased by 0.6 per cent while employment grew by 1.0 per cent. The ONS notes that recent employment increases have been concentrated among women, particularly as older females stay in work longer after changes to the State Pension age for women.
The reduction in the UK unemployment rate observed over the last 5-6 years has resulted from rising employment outpacing the growth in the labour force. A similar trend of employment growth in excess of labour supply growth has been observed in Canada and Nova Scotia as well, but this has been more pronounced only in the last 2-3 years.
Sources: UK Office for National Statistics: Labour Market Overview and Employment in the UK: December 2019;
Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0287-02 Labour force characteristics by age group, monthly, seasonally adjusted
<--- Return to Archive
