The Government’s handling of the economy is about as effective as a chocolate fireguard – and now Labour are feeling the heat. Shocking new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the unemployment rate has climbed to 5% between July and September 2025 – the highest since 2021. It’s up on the quarter, higher than a year ago, and no longer something Labour ministers can dismiss as a “temporary adjustment”.
The same ONS data shows the number of payrolled employees fell by 117,000 between September 2024 and September 2025, and by another 32,000 between August and September. Early estimates for October point to a further 180,000 fewer jobs year-on-year, taking the total to 30.3 million. Someone sound the alarm… But that’s not all.
Vacancies are flat, edging up by just 2,000 to 723,000. So the reality is clear: more people out of work, fewer new jobs being created, and a stagnant labour market limping along on false optimism.
Yet ministers continue to talk about “stability” and “resilience” as though repeating the words might make them true. They boast about headline earnings growth while ignoring what’s actually happening on the ground – job insecurity, shrinking hours, and families falling back on credit to get through the month.
This isn’t resilience, it’s desperation disguised as endurance.
Britain’s problem isn’t just that the economy has slowed – it’s that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has run out of ideas.
There’s no serious plan for jobs, skills or regional investment – just the same tired slogans and promises of growth that never materialises. Businesses are cutting back, workers are burning out, and the country is drifting further into managed decline.
The truth is, you can’t build a strong economy on unstable work.
The foundations are crumbling, and those in charge are too busy pretending the house isn’t on fire.
