UK job vacancies tumbled 6 per cent in the first three months of the year, falling by 52,000 to 795,000, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.
Vacancies fell furthest in the retail and manufacturing sectors. The growth in the overall number of people in work slowed from 1.1 per cent in February to 0.8 per cent in March, the data showed.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose by 12,100 in March, although the figures are only accurate up to 12 March, before the coronavirus lockdown began. The number of newly unemployed people during the coronavirus crisis could reach up to two million, the Office for Budget Responsibility said last week.
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