The UK’s employment rate is forecast to surpass pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to the latest labour market overview from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The report revealed a rise in both employees and self-employment, with employment rates reaching 76% in the last quarter, up 0.2 percentage points from November 2022 to January 2023. The ONS reported that the number of employees on the payroll also increased to reach 30 million in May. The report also stated that health and social care and hospitality were the biggest drivers in recent job growth. However, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 3.8% in the last quarter.