Some 26,000 jobs were lost in August, and a measure of wage growth collapsed to the slowest pace in six years as the labour market weakens.
Average earnings, including bonuses, rose by only 3.9 per cent in the three months to July, official figures show, marking the most feeble growth since November 2020.
The private sector has been keenly hit by this sluggish economic growth, as earnings excluding bonuses fell to 2.9 per cent. Meanwhile, public sector pay has risen at a rate of 6.3 per cent.
The rate of unemployment in the UK remained stagnant at 4.9 per cent in the same period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
