Latest ONS data on employment (February-April 2020)

We have analysed the data released by the Office for National Statistics for February to April which includes the first full month of lockdown.

Read our short note on what has changed in terms of employment for women and men.

What the data shows:

• Unemployment unchanged (credit to government’s support schemes)
• Largest decrease ever in weekly hours worked (but no gender differences)
• ‘Economically inactive’ slightly decreased (so no flight from labour market either)
• Pay fell for the first time since 2018 (-0.4% in real terms) (largely driven by big decrease in bonuses)
• Record fall in number of job vacancies (fewer 343,000 in May)
• 600,000 fewer employees in May (experimental PAYE stats) (suggesting unemployment rises will be reflected soon in official stats)
• SEISS – fewer eligible self-employed women claiming and for less
• CJRS (furlough scheme) – no gender data yet (from mid-July 2020 only)