Jobless market stable in the West Midlands - despite national figure hitting new record
Rates of unemployment in the West Midlands have remained stable as the national figure hits a new record, according to the latest figures.
Monthly job stats for the region published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a slight decrease in the rate of employment but also a dip in unemployment.
For the three months from August to October 2025, 73.6 per cent of 16 to 64 year olds in the West Midlands were in work, a dip of just 0.1 per cent on the three months from July to September.
The percentage of people aged 16 or over who were unemployed was 5.9 per cent, down 0.1 per cent over the same period.
The inactivity rate among 16 to 64 year olds 21.5 per cent, also up by just 0.1 per cent over the same quarterly periods.
Nationally, the jobless rate rose to 5.1 per cent - its highest level for nearly five years as wage growth slipped back further and young people in particular suffered amid a tough jobs market, the data shows.
The ONS said the rate of unemployment rose to 5.1 per cent in the three months to October, up from five per cent in the three months to September.
This is the highest since the first quarter of 2021 - but with the pandemic era stripped out, it is the highest since early 2016.
The ONS said average regular wage growth also pulled back again, to 4.6 per cent in the three months to October, down from an upwardly revised 4.7 per cent in the previous three months.
Experts said the easing back in pay increases would reinforce the case for the Bank of England to cut interest rates when it decides on Thursday as it helps ease policymaker fears over inflation.
The latest figures estimated the number of employees on payrolls plunged by 38,000 - the biggest fall for five years - during November to 30.3 million in further evidence of a weakened jobs market.
The ONS said younger workers were struggling in the difficult hiring climate, with an 85,000 increase in those unemployed aged between 18 to 24 in the three months to October - the biggest rise since November 2022.
Across the market, vacancies fell slightly, down 2,000 to 729,000 between September and November.
Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics, said: "The overall picture continues to be of a weakening labour market.
"The number of employees on payroll has fallen again, reflecting subdued hiring activity, while firms told us there were fewer jobs in the latest period.
"This weakness is also reflected in an increase in the unemployment rate while vacancies remained broadly flat. The fall in payroll numbers and increase in unemployment has been seen particularly among some younger age groups."
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