The number of UK workers on payrolls increased by 20,000 last month, but has fallen by 673,000 between March and September due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, said: “The latest monthly tax numbers show that the number of employees on the payroll was little changed in September.
“However, in total there were still nearly 700,000 fewer than in March, before the lockdown.
“Our newly adjusted survey figures show that in the latest period almost half a million fewer people were in work than just before the pandemic, while almost 200,000 others said they were employed but were currently not working nor earning any money.
“Since the start of the pandemic there has been a sharp increase in those out of work and job hunting but more people telling us they are not actively looking for work.
“There has also been a stark rise in the number of people who have recently been made redundant.”
The ONS added that UK unemployment rose by 138,000 quarter on quarter to 1.52 million in the three months to August.
This saw the rate of unemployment jump to 4.5%, from 4.1% in the previous three months.
