UK Payroll Employment Down 11K in March

2026-04-21 06:09 By Judith Sib-at 1 min. read

The number of payrolled employees in the UK decreased by 11 thousand to 30.3 million in March 2026, after a revised 6 thousand fall in February.

This marked the biggest monthly drop since November 2025, signaling renewed strain in the labour market as businesses continue to navigate the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict.

On a yearly basis, employment was down by 0.2%, or 65 thousand.

The largest decline was observed in the wholesale and retail sector (-57 thousand), while the biggest rise was seen in the health and social work sector (+41 thousand).

Across NUTS3 regions, Westminster saw a 1.9% fall in payrolled employees, whereas Mid Ulster recorded a 2.3% increase.

Meanwhile, the median monthly pay rose by 4.3% year-on-year to £2,599.

Growth in median pay was highest in the public administration and defence sector (+7.5%) and lowest in the professional, scientific, and technical sector (+2.9%).



News Stream
UK Payroll Employment Down 11K in March
The number of payrolled employees in the UK decreased by 11 thousand to 30.3 million in March 2026, after a revised 6 thousand fall in February. This marked the biggest monthly drop since November 2025, signaling renewed strain in the labour market as businesses continue to navigate the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict. On a yearly basis, employment was down by 0.2%, or 65 thousand. The largest decline was observed in the wholesale and retail sector (-57 thousand), while the biggest rise was seen in the health and social work sector (+41 thousand). Across NUTS3 regions, Westminster saw a 1.9% fall in payrolled employees, whereas Mid Ulster recorded a 2.3% increase. Meanwhile, the median monthly pay rose by 4.3% year-on-year to £2,599. Growth in median pay was highest in the public administration and defence sector (+7.5%) and lowest in the professional, scientific, and technical sector (+2.9%).
2026-04-21
UK Payroll Employment Rises 20K in February
The number of payrolled employees in the United Kingdom rose by 20 thousand, or 0.1% to 30.3 million in February 2026, following a revised 6 thousand increase in January. Compared with the corresponding month a year ago, payrolled employment fell by 0.2%, or 49 thousand. The biggest drop was seen in the wholesale and retail sector (-49 thousand), while the largest increase was in the health and social work sector (+42 thousand). Across NUTS3 regions, Westminster experienced a 2.4% decrease in payrolled employees, whereas Mid Ulster saw a 2.7% rise. Meanwhile, the median monthly pay increased by 4.1% year-on-year to £2,586. The highest growth in median pay was recorded in the public administration and defence sector (+8.3%), while the sharpest fall was in the finance and insurance sector (-2.9%).
2026-03-19
UK Payroll Employment Drops for 5th Month
The number of payrolled employees in the United Kingdom fell by 11 thousand to 30.3 million in January 2026, following a downwardly revised 6 thousand drop in the previous month. This marked the fifth straight month of decline. Compared with the same month last year, payrolled employment dropped by 0.4%, or 134 thousand. The largest decrease was recorded in the wholesale and retail sector (-65 thousand), while the biggest rise was in the health and social work sector (+39 thousand). Across NUTS3 regions, Westminster saw a 2.7% fall in payrolled employees, whereas Mid Ulster registered a 2.3% increase. Meanwhile, the median monthly pay rose by 4.6% year-on-year to £2,588. Growth in median pay was highest in the wholesale and retail sector (+6.2%) and lowest in the finance and insurance sector (+2.1%).
2026-02-17