April 17, 2025 (UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) (via LinkedIn)) –
The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) posted 4 LinkedIn updates from April 10 to April 17, 2025. These posts covered crucial economic indicators, statistical updates, and upcoming events, providing valuable insights into the UK's economic landscape and the ONS's ongoing efforts to improve data collection and analysis.
Labour Market Statistics Transformation
The ONS announced a significant update on the transformation of their labour market statistics. National Statistician Professor Sir Ian Diamond emphasized this as a top priority, marking a pivotal move in setting up these vital statistics for the future. The update reflects the ONS's commitment to addressing challenges faced by the Labour Force Survey and improving the quality of labour market statistics. This transformation is crucial for providing accurate and reliable data for policymakers, researchers, and the public.
Labour market statistics update announced
Latest Labour Market Figures
The ONS released its latest labour market figures, revealing significant trends in wages, employment, and job vacancies. For the period of December 2024 to February 2025, average weekly earnings increased by 5.9% year-on-year, excluding bonuses, and 5.6% including bonuses. This indicates a continued strong growth in regular pay.
However, the data also showed some concerning trends. The number of employees on payroll decreased by 8,000 in February 2025, with a further provisional decrease of 78,000 in March 2025. Job vacancies fell to 781,000 in January to March 2025, marking the first time they have been below pre-COVID-19 levels since spring 2021.
Liz McKeown, ONS Director of Economic Statistics, noted that while regular pay growth remains strong, with acceleration in the public sector, the unemployment rate remained unchanged from the previous three months. These figures suggest a complex labour market situation, with strong wage growth occurring alongside potential signs of cooling in employment and job openings.
Latest labour market figures released
GDP Growth
The ONS reported positive GDP growth figures for February 2025. The economy grew by 0.5% in February and 0.6% in the three months to February 2025. Liz McKeown highlighted that this growth was widespread across both services and manufacturing industries.
In the services sector, computer programming, telecoms, and car dealerships showed strong performance. The manufacturing sector saw growth led by electronics and pharmaceuticals, with car manufacturing also showing improvement after recent poor performance. This broad-based growth across various industries suggests a resilient and diversifying economy, potentially indicating a recovery from previous challenges.
GDP growth figures for February released
Upcoming Webinar on Population Statistics
The ONS announced an upcoming webinar titled "The Population in Numbers - what's changing." Scheduled for April 24, 2025, this event will focus on the latest data regarding birth rates and family sizes for women born in different years. This webinar represents an important opportunity for stakeholders to gain insights into demographic trends, which have significant implications for various policy areas, including education, healthcare, and social services.
Webinar on population statistics announced
In conclusion, the ONS's LinkedIn updates from April 10 to April 17, 2025, demonstrate the organization's ongoing commitment to providing accurate, timely, and comprehensive statistical information about the UK's economy and population. The mix of current economic indicators, future-focused initiatives like the labour market statistics transformation, and educational events highlights the ONS's crucial role in informing public discourse and policy-making in the UK.
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