Fuel and travel costs are pushing prices up again
Thursday 5 November 2026
Inflation has risen to 3.1%, meaning everyday spending is getting more expensive just as household budgets are already under pressure.
Key term
What it means
In the main UK figure, the employment rate is the number of people aged 16 to 64 who are employed, divided by everyone in that age group. It includes employees and self-employed people, as well as people temporarily away from a job. Someone can be counted as employed even if they work only a few hours, so the rate cannot tell you whether people have enough work or earn enough. The unemployment rate uses a different group of people for its calculation.
Example
Of 100 people aged 16 to 64 in a made-up area, 75 are in work. The employment rate is 75%. The other 25 are not all unemployed: some may be studying or otherwise not looking for work.
Why it matters
It shows how much of the working-age population has work, but needs to be read alongside pay, hours and the unemployment and inactivity rates.
Related terms
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Economic inactivity rate
The share of people in a stated age group who are neither working nor classed as unemployed.
Read more -
Labour force participation rate
The share of people in a stated age group who are either working or classed as unemployed.
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Underemployment
When someone has work but would like and is available for more paid hours.
Read more -
Unemployment rate
The share of people in the labour force who have no job, are looking for one and are available to start.
Read more
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News
Highlights from about the UK economy, the UK government and the UK public sector.
Mortgage relief will have to wait a little longer
Wednesday 4 November 2026
Interest rates are staying at 3.75%, so households with mortgages and other borrowing may have to wait longer for costs to come down.
Energy bills are going up as winter approaches
Wednesday 4 November 2026
A higher energy price cap means many households will be paying more to heat and power their homes during the colder months.
Guides and insights
Analysis
Clear, accessible analysis of the economic issues shaping everyday life
Living standards
What does a day’s work buy?
Comparing the cost of everyday life across generations, from bread and beer to buying a home.
Food & prices
The journey behind your grocery bill
How farming, energy, transport and supermarket competition shape the price on the shelf.
Prices & inflation
Inflation is falling. What happens next?
What slower price rises mean for wages, purchasing power and economic recovery.
Shared prosperity
What would shared prosperity look like?
Beyond GDP: how we could measure economic success through security, opportunity and living standards.
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