United Kingdom Non Farm Payrolls

The number of payrolled employees in the United Kingdom declined by 109 thousand, or 0.4%, to 30.2 million in May 2025, following a revised 55 thousand decrease in the previous month. This marked the seventh consecutive monthly decline and the sharpest fall since May 2020, as the labor market deteriorated following big increases in payroll taxes and the national minimum wage. Compared to the same month last year, payrolled employment fell by 0.9% or 274 thousand, with the biggest drop seen in the accommodation and food service activities sector (-124 thousand). Across regions, Westminster saw the largest decrease in payrolled employees (-4.1%), while Causeway Coast and Glens recorded the highest growth (2.0%). Meanwhile, the median monthly pay increased by 5.8% year-on-year to £2,521. Annual growth in median pay was the highest in accommodation and food service activities sector (7.5%), while the lowest was in the finance and insurance sector (3.5%).