Jobs keep being lost in the economy under Labour, figures published today by the Office for National Statistics. Data released shows fewer jobs in the economy and less opportunities for employment. The ONS provisional estimate for payrolled employees for August 2026 is 145,000 fewer than August 2025, while unemployment has increased year on year, the Claimant Count has risen, and vacancies have fallen to their lowest levels (excluding the Covid pandemic) since 2014. Witham MP Priti Patel said:
“Labour has taken a wrecking ball to jobs in our economy. Across the country fewer people are in work and there are less opportunities to find and secure work as a direct result of Labour’s tax-grabbing, business-bashing, and job-destroying policies. Since coming to office, they have added new burdens and red tape to British businesses and taxed them more, while their economic mismanagement is causing interest rates to rise, which is undermining investment. Essex and Britain are worse off under Labour.”
