Today’s labour market statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in January to March 2019 – it has not been lower since October to December 1974. There were an estimated 1.30 million unemployed people, 119,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

The UK employment rate was estimated at 76.1%, higher than for a year earlier (75.6%) and the joint-highest figure on record. 32.70 million people were in employment, 354,000 more than for a year earlier.
The number of vacancies was estimated at 846,000 for February to April 2019, 28,000 more than a year earlier but 15,000 fewer than for November 2018 to January 2019.