The UK labour market performed better than forecast in the three months through April. The number of people in work rose a greater-than-forecast 32,000 and basic pay growth unexpectedly accelerated to 3.4 per cent, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday. The pickup in underlying wage growth leaves pay comfortably outpacing inflation, which averaged just 2 per cent in the period. Wage growth including bonuses slowed to 3.1 per centThe jobs market has so far defied the wider economic slowdown, possibly because firms are choosing people over investment because hiring is easier to reverse if the economy turns sour. The rise in employment in the latest three months was driven entirely by women, as male employment fell.

Source: The Irish Times June 11, 2019 09:00 UTC