Naomi Clayton

"Today’s Spring Statement underlines just how urgent it is to step up reform of our employment support system. With revised unemployment figures expected to peak at over 5.3% this year, the UK is facing clear and persistent labour market challenges that demand a more ambitious and inclusive approach to helping people into work. The picture for young people is even more concerning, with youth unemployment hitting its highest rate in a decade. We need government to implement bold reforms that match the scale of the challenge, and a renewed commitment from government to ensuring every young person has the opportunity, support and pathways they need to thrive in work. The urgency could not be clearer.”

Comment from IES Chief Executive @naomiclayton.bsky.social on the Spring Statement, announced by government earlier today.

"Unemployment is edging upwards as hiring remains weak. Payrolled employment continues to fall, though at a slower rate, and vacancies appear to have stabilised. Rising unemployment and weak hiring means that there are more people looking for fewer jobs and, outside the pandemic, the unemployment-to-vacancy ratio is the highest in 10 years. Young people are being hit hardest, with youth unemployment at its highest in a decade. The government needs to work with employers to boost jobs and encourage hiring, while expanding support to help people find work."

Comment from IES Chief Executive @naomiclayton.bsky.social on the just-announced Labour Market Statistics.

"The labour market is continuing to weaken. Payrolled employment has fallen by over 90,000 in the last quarter – the largest fall outside the pandemic. Vacancies appear to have stabilised but remain well below the pre-pandemic peak. Unemployment remains at the highest rate in four years at 5.1% and there are still 2.1 million people who are outside the labour force who want to work. "Increases in unemployment have been largely driven by young people who have been affected by the slowdown in hiring, and the youth unemployment rate is the highest it’s been in 10 years, including the pandemic. The government needs to work with employers to create more job and training opportunities for young people, encourage hiring and to increase support so they can access those opportunities."

Comment from IES Chief Executive @naomiclayton.bsky.social on the just-announced Labour Market Statistics from ONS.

More widely it needs to boost employer confidence and create the conditions for growth, while widening access to employment support. @employmentstudies.bsky.social

As the government reviews the causes of record unemployment and inactivity among 16-24 year-olds, it needs to continue to build on the Youth Guarantee to ensure that all young people can access the support they need.

Estimates suggest LT unemployment (12mths+) among 18–24-year-olds is highest since 2015, inc the pandemic years. This partly reflects an increase in participation rates (and a fall in economic inactivity) among this age group but suggests that many young people are struggling to find work.

Real pay growth remains weak. Inflation continues to erode the impact of nominal wage increases, with real annual regular pay growth at 0.5% in August to October 2025 – meaning that workers are only marginally better off than they were a year ago.

Retail and hospitality have seen the largest falls in payrolled employment over the last year, with over 129k fewer payrolled employees in those sectors. Vacancies meanwhile have fallen most sharply in admin, health and construction.

Vacancy numbers have decreased slightly, which means more people are competing for fewer jobs. Outside the pandemic, the unemployment-to-vacancy ratio is the highest in 10 years.

Payrolled employment has fallen by nearly 90,000 over the last quarter – the largest fall since the pandemic.

The labour market continues to weaken, and unemployment has risen as more people are looking for fewer jobs.

The unemployment rate has risen to 5.1% - the highest in the last four years and not far off the pandemic peak of 5.3%. Outside the pandemic period, this is the highest rate since 2016.

"The labour market continues to weaken. The unemployment rate has increased to the highest rate in four years and unemployment rates for men match peak rates during the pandemic. Payrolled employment has fallen by nearly 90,000 over the last quarter – the largest fall since the pandemic. Vacancy numbers have decreased slightly, which means more people are competing for fewer jobs. We need to boost employer confidence and expand support for the 2.1 million people who are outside the labour force but want to work. The youth unemployment rate is now higher than it was during the pandemic and is at its highest rate in ten years. As the government reviews the causes of record unemployment and inactivity among 16-24 year-olds, it needs to continue to build on the Youth Guarantee to ensure that all young people can access the support they need."

Comment from IES Chief Executive @naomiclayton.bsky.social on the just-announced Labour Market Statistics from ONS.

Almost a million young people to benefit from expanded support, new training, and work experience opportunities | Naomi Clayton Yesterday’s announcements represent a significant step forward in developing a more comprehensive support offer for young people, reflecting what Institute for Employment Studies and the Youth Employm...

Slightly longer post here www.linkedin.com/posts/naomi-...

But there's more to do to ensure that:

- Young people not on UC and looking for work have access to support
- All local areas develop comprehensive, joined-up support
- More employers offer young people high quality and meaningful work and training opportunities

Alongside more detail on the Jobs Guarantee, it includes:

- Earlier intervention through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway for 16-24 yr olds on UC
- Wider community-based support through the expansion of Youth Hubs (available to all YP)
- Broader preventative action through e.g. data sharing

Almost a million young people to benefit from expanded support, new training, and work experience opportunities Almost one million young people will benefit from learning or employment opportunities as a result of a major £820 million funding package.

A welcome set of announcements over the weekend on the government's Youth Guarantee, helping to build a more comprehensive offer for young people

www.gov.uk/government/n...

In our final ReAct briefing paper of the Autumn series, we focus on the ReAct collaboration itself and what value this has brought to participating organisations and the people they support. Read: bit.ly/4ovzixm

"Today’s Budget included a welcome focus on youth employment with investment in the Youth Guarantee, including the Jobs Guarantee scheme for 18-21-year-olds, and more support for SMEs to take on apprentices under the age of 25. Nearly a million 16-24-year-olds – 1 in 8 young people – are out of work and not in any form of education or training, and the government should aim to ensure that every young person can access the support they need. Meanwhile, the OBR assesses that the government’s new Pathways to Work support offer for disabled people and people with health conditions will only have a modest impact on employment, and there appears to be no plans to fast track this investment. With unemployment rising and health-related economic inactivity at a record high, it is critical that the government sets out more details on its plans, accelerates progress where it can and scales up what works."

Comment from IES Chief Executive @naomiclayton.bsky.social on today's Autumn Budget.

To raise living standards, the government should fast-track supply side reforms that support more people into work and to remain in work, create skills and reskilling pathways and boost economic growth.

In a new blog ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Statement,
@naomiclayton.bsky.social calls for the Budget to focus on three key areas for action: youth employment, health and disability support and employer engagement. Read: bit.ly/4pa3pLS

“A cross-government approach is needed to reduce work-related illness and absence. While we should build on the wealth of good practice and foster a ‘race to the top’, we must also raise the floor, ensuring that all work meets minimum standards that support health, productivity and retention. Poor quality work, including insecure contracts, excessive or irregular hours, high demands with low control, and weak workplace relationships, can be as damaging to health as unemployment. Work-related ill-health is also a significant problem in public service sectors, including health and teaching, where the government has greater leverage to be able to influence working conditions.”

📢New blog! IES' @naomiclayton.bsky.social reflects on the Keep Britain Working Review, considering how the recommendations can be best implemented by both government and employers, when taking a 'whole-system' approach and embedding good work as a foundation for health. Read: bit.ly/4qRgGdG

How can we support better, longer careers in the context of a rising State Pension age?

Come and discuss this with us at our event in London on 13 November with our speakers @csfoot.bsky.social, @naomiclayton.bsky.social, Sarah Ellis and Dr Suzy Morrissey:

events.standardlife.co.uk/ExtendingThe...

📢 New ReAct research highlights what works in strategic partnerships and how collaboration can bring benefits to operational delivery and participant experience, resulting in a more comprehensive support offer and better tailoring of support for participants. Read our findings: bit.ly/47vtcIH

The next phase of the reshuffle

Its now only just over a month until our Annual Conference! We will be discussing how organisations can effectively improve productivity through people, and our speakers include some of the UK's leading employment specialists & HR thinkers. Register here: bit.ly/41jBNua

"The labour market continues to cool as employers respond to cost pressures and global uncertainty. Payroll numbers are falling, pay growth is slowing and vacancies are now well below pre-pandemic levels, as employers cut back hiring. Hospitality and retail sectors have seen the largest declines in employment and among the fastest pay growth - pointing to the combined impacts of the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions and the increase in the National Living Wage. While the headline data remains uncertain, these trends underline the urgent need to boost the economy and support job creation."

Comment from IES' @naomiclayton.bsky.social on the just-announced Labour Market Statistics from ONS. Our briefing note will be available later today, sign up here to receive via email: employment-studies.co.uk/news-press/i...

LFS suggests that employment and unemployment have risen as economic inactivity have fallen but given volatility in data, it's difficult to determine whether these are genuine trends or the result of previous estimates overstating economic inactivity

Hospitality and retail sectors have seen the largest declines in employment and among the fastest pay growth, pointing to the combined impacts of the rise in employers’ national insurance increases and increases to the National Living Wage.

Latest labour market stats: The labour market continues to cool as employers respond to cost pressures and global uncertainty. Payroll numbers are falling, pay growth is slowing and vacancies are now well below pre-pandemic levels, as employers cut back hiring.

The Seventh I am not supposed to be here. That’s almost all I can think as I run as fast as I can away from Tavistock Square. It is 7 July 2005. I am not supposed to be here. I am supposed to be at work. I nev…

20 years ago today, a bomb exploded on a bus at Tavistock Square. I was there. This is what happened:

London bombings: I survived 7/7, but still see the suicide bomber everywhere Dan Biddle recalls a bright, white flash as a bomb was detonated just metres away from him on a London Underground train.

This is quite a story. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...