Employment Rate Rise Has Been Driven By Part-time Workers

The employment rate in the UK has continued to rise over the last three months, driven predominantly by those working part-time. 

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the rate was 0.2 per cent higher between January and March 2023 than it was from October to December 2022. 

While this growth is promising, this figure is still 0.7 percentage points lower than the peak between December 2019 and February 2020 when the employment rate reached a record-breaking 76.6 per cent. 

In comparison, the latest rate of employment was 75.9 per cent, climbing up after a big decline following the pandemic. 

Although it is still below pre-pandemic rates, the most recent unemployment rate is lower. Between January and March this year, 3.9 per cent of the adult population was unemployed, while it was a higher four per cent by February 2020.

The results show part-time and self-employed workers have helped bring up the current employment rate, with more people having the confidence to launch their own enterprise or ask for flexible working options these days. 

The Labour party has announced plans to legislate flexible working conditions if it gets into power in the next election. 

Among its draft policies, it wants to make flexible working the default from the first day of employment “except where it is not reasonably feasible”. 

This could impact those entering the job market, as they could benefit from part-time conditions, working from home, flexible hours, or nine-day fortnights.