2026.04.2106:00:00UTC+00UK Employment Growth Cools Sharply in February, Signalling Possible Labour Market Slowdown

UK employment growth decelerated markedly in February 2026, with the 3-month-on-3-month Employment Change indicator easing to 25,000 from 84,000 in January. The latest figure, updated on 21 April 2026, points to a significant loss of momentum in job creation compared with the start of the year.

On a month-over-month comparison basis, the February reading shows that the labour market is still adding jobs, but at a much slower pace than in the previous period. While January’s 84,000 increase reflected comparatively robust hiring relative to the prior month, February’s 25,000 gain suggests employers may be turning more cautious.

The data, which measure the change in employment over a rolling three-month period, indicate that although the UK is not yet experiencing a net loss of jobs, the trend in hiring is weakening. This slowdown in employment growth will be closely watched by policymakers and markets for what it may signal about the broader economic outlook heading into the rest of 2026.