Experts keep one eye on September after July's strong employment stats

Job vacancies hit record high

Investment experts are keeping one eye on September’s employment numbers following strong numbers for July from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Job vacancies have jumped to a record high as unemployment figures dropped slightly and average earnings skyrocketed thanks to the winding down of furlough, the ONS revealed in its latest figures. The ONS estimated there were 953,000 job vacancies in May to July 2021, growing 290,000 compared to the previous quarter and 168,000 more than pre-pandemic. Unemployment figures, which increased during the pandemic are continuing to recover, dropping 0.2 percentage points to 4.7% in July. Average weekly earnings saw a more substantial change, surging by 8.8%. Pandemic hit UK-listed com...