Unemployment

The number of employees on payrolls dropped 11,000, the biggest fall since November 2025 and double the decline seen in February, according to tax data published by the ONS.

UK job cuts suggest companies are turning cautious on Iran war

Economists now expect the jobless rate to increase, as employers slam the brakes on hiring

A job fair in Beijing, China, March 14, 2026.

China’s youth jobless rate rises to 16.9% in March

[BEIJING] The jobless rate in China for those under 30 years of age in urban areas, excluding college students, rose in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Australia's net employment increased 17,900 in March from February, when it rose a revised 49,600.

Australia’s March employment rises 17,900, jobless rate steady at 4.3%

[SYDNEY] Australian employment rose broadly in line with expectations in March as firms hired more full-time workers, while the jobless rate held steady, data showed on Thursday.

Full-time jobs fell 30,500 after a strong rise the month before.

Australia February employment jumps, jobless rate still rises

The RBA has judged that the labour market had tightened a little recently as the economy picked up pace after three rate cuts last year

Economists are optimistic that the labour market will regain momentum in 2026, as tax cuts stimulate demand.

US weekly jobless claims unchanged, layoffs decline 55% in February

The labour market is regaining its footing, after stumbling in 2025 amid uncertainty from US President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs

Job growth in the US accelerated in January, though nearly all the employment gains came from the healthcare and social assistance sector.

US weekly jobless claims fall more than expected amid labour market stability

Claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 206,000 in the week ended Feb 14

Australia's jobless rate held at 4.1 per cent, the lowest reading since last May.

Australia unemployment stays low at 4.1%, full-time jobs jump

Markets now imply around a 77 per cent chance the RBA will raise its policy interest rate by another 25 basis points to 4.10 per cent in May

People walk across London Bridge during morning commute rush, in London, Britain, Jan 16, 2026.

UK minimum wage is raising youth unemployment, Bank of England’s Mann says

[LONDON] A sharp rise in Britain’s minimum wage for younger workers over the past three years has contributed to an increase in unemployment for that age group, Bank of England policymaker Catherine M...

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research forecast that the jobless rate would average 5.4 per cent this year, up from 4.8 per cent in 2025.

UK unemployment set to hit 11-year high in 2026, NIESR forecasts

Unemployment in the IT sector could be due to artificial intelligence