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February 23, 2021UK LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, OCTOBER 2020 TO DECEMBER 2020 
The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported today that the unemployment rate for the three-month period October 2020 to December 2020 averaged 5.1%, up 1.3 percentage points compared to the same period the previous year.
The UK employment rate among those aged 16-64 averaged 75.0% from October to December 2020, down 1.5 percentage point than a year earlier. Early estimates for January 2021 indicate that the number of payroll employees declined 726,000 compared to February 2020. In January 2021, the number of payroll employees increased by 83,000 compared to December 2020, the second consecutive monthly increase.
The number of job vacancies decreased 26% from November 2020 to January 2021 than a year earlier. The number of people temporarily away from work rose slightly in December 2020.
The impact of COVID-19 was more apparent in falling employment and labour force in Canada and Nova Scotia for April 2020 and partial recovery from May to November 2020. In previous two months employment and labour force decreased in Canada on renewed COVID-19 restrictions. In contrast, furloughed workers are still considered to be employed in the UK, which mutes the impact of COVID-19 on UK employment and labour force.
ANNUAL
In 2020, the UK unemployment rate was 4.5%, up from 3.8% in 2019. The UK unemployment rate had a declining trend from 2012 to 2019. Canada and Nova Scotia unemployment rate had similar trends during the same time period. In 2020, COVID-19 pandemic has more apparent impact on Canada and Nova Scotia unemployment rate compared to UK unemployment rate.
Sources: UK Office for National Statistics: Labour Market Overview
Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0287-02 Labour force characteristics by age group, monthly, seasonally adjusted
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