REC response to ONS labour market figures, November 2025

The ONS published its latest labour market figures this morning. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Chief Executive Neil Carberry said:

“Today’s official jobs statistics are a stark reminder to the Chancellor that she needs to back business to tackle the rising unemployment and redundancies caused by a year of weak growth and rising business costs. Only business can deliver the growth she needs to balance the books.

“With vacancy numbers now stabilising after their long decline, there is an opportunity to make progress if the Budget backs businesses rather than punishing them. The government’s commitment to supporting business needs to extend to a break from a rising tide of business taxes, a much more practical approach to an Employment Rights Bill which is chilling the jobs market and delivering on skills reform. By the end of the Parliament, government will be collecting hundreds of millions more from the Apprenticeship Levy than it spends on apprenticeships – a tax on employing young people.

“Pay is down from its peaks but much of the upward momentum is coming from things that the government controls – such as statutory minimum rates and public sector awards. A more sustainable path for these rates ought to see pay moderate further over the next six months.”