UK unemployment: 650,000 fewer people on UK payrolls as coronavirus pandemic continues

The number of workers on company payrolls fell by 649,000 between March and June, official figures show.

Last month, employers shed 74,000 staff as the coronavirus pandemic took hold and the labour market "weakened markedly", the Office for National Statistics said.

Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said: "As the pandemic took hold, the labour market weakened markedly, but that rate of decline slowed into June, though this is before recent reports of job losses.
"There are now almost two-thirds of a million fewer employees on the payroll than before the lockdown, according to the latest tax data.

"The Labour Force Survey is showing only a small fall in employment, but shows a large number of people who report working no hours and getting no pay."

He added: "There are now far more out-of-work people who are not looking for a job than before the pandemic."

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