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.
Underemployment
When someone has work but would like and is available for more paid hours.
What it means
A person can have a job and still not have enough hours of work. Underemployment usually describes workers who want to work longer and are available to do so; official measures can add specific limits on hours worked and how soon the person could take extra work. Working part-time by choice is not automatically underemployment. This term can also be used more loosely for work that does not use a person's skills, so check what a particular report measures.
Example
Someone works 15 hours a week but wants 30 and could take extra hours soon. They may count as underemployed in a measure based on hours, even though they are already counted as employed.
Why it matters
A rising employment rate does not guarantee everyone who wants more work can get it.
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.
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Employment rate
The share of people in a stated age group who are in work.
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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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Unemployment rate
The share of people in the labour force who have no job, are looking for one and are available to start.
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Wage growth
How much pay has risen or fallen compared with an earlier time.
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Keep in the loop
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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