(ONS) The UK added 257,000 jobs in November, a record since 2014, taking the total number of employees in the country to 29.4 million.
The rise in payroll numbers in November helped to increase the employment rate by 0.2% between August and October, with the rate now at 75.5%. The unemployment rate edged lower by 0.4% to 4.2% in the same period.
Average weekly earnings increased by 4.9% during the August to October period from the prior year, although the gain was the smallest since March. The earnings were still 4.3% higher than the prior year, without including bonuses.
Job vacancies also hit a record high of 1.219 million in the quarter to November, despite the pace continuing to slow. The vacancies fell for the first time in November since February.
The rise in the UK payroll numbers now adds pressure to the Bank of England, which faces an interest rate decision this week amid rising inflation.
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