UK Unemployment Rises at End of 2020 Amid Coronavirus
February 23 2021 - 02:17AM
Dow Jones News
By Jason Douglas
Unemployment in the U.K. rose at the end of 2020 as the country
reeled from a deadly second wave of the coronavirus.
Companies added jobs in January, however, and the number of
people claiming out of work benefits fell. The data overall suggest
the labor market is still weak, but not as sickly as it was at the
height of the pandemic in spring last year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday set out plans for a
gradual reopening of the economy over the spring and summer months
as Covid-19 caseloads fall and vaccinations increase. Employers'
groups are urging the government to extend Covid-19-related support
programs for firms and jobs that are scheduled to expire in
April.
The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday the unemployment
rate rose to 5.1% in the final quarter of the year, up from 5% the
three months through November. The number of people in work fell
and the number of people existing the labor market rose.
In January, data shows the number of jobs on company payrolls
increased, to 28.3 million. That is the second month on month
increase, but the number of payrolled employees was 726,000 fewer
than it was in February 2020, before the pandemic struck.
Write to Jason Douglas at jason.douglas@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 23, 2021 03:02 ET (08:02 GMT)
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