The UK economy is not nearly as bad as you've been told

> Let’s be clear. Our economy is not booming. But it is much healthier than feared. So, if you are asked how well the UK economy is doing, remember that it is considerably stronger than the mood music would lead you to believe.

It's doing pretty well, actually. /s

- Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (highest since 2016, excluding the pandemic).

- Unemployed People: Around 1.79 million (aged 16+).

- Payrolled Employees: Fell by 109,000 (0.4%) year-on-year by September 2025.

- Job Vacancies: Decreased to 717,000 in Q3 2025, below pre-pandemic levels.

- Unemployed per Vacancy: Increased to 2.4 in June-August 2025, up from 2.3.

Sources:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-...

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwor...