Video Summary: Latest on the Labour Market, August 2012

• Unemployment for everyone aged 16 and over is currently 2.56 million, down 46,000 on the previous three months. Employment for the same age group is 29.48 million, up 201,000 on the previous three months.

• Looking annually, employment was up 251,000, from 29.22 million in April to June 2011 to 29.48 million in April to June 2012.

• Of the annual rise in employment, 163,000 was for men and 88,000 for women. There was a fall in employment for those aged 16 to 24 and 35 to 49 with increases for those aged 25 to 34, 50 to 64 and 65 and over.

• The rise in employment was driven by a fall in inactivity as there have been annual increases in both employment and unemployment. There were many different reasons for the fall in inactivity but the main one was a fall in people aged 16 to 64 being retired. This fall was driven by women and reflects increases in the state retirement age for women since 2010.

• The majority of the annual increase in employment was for UK-born people and UK nationals.

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background notes

1. Further information is available in the Statistical Bulletin and the data tables.

2. A number of video stories relating to labour market statistics are available from NOMIS®.

3. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk

   The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

   Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:

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