Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 138,000 (0.5%) between April 2025 and April 2026, and decreased by 53,000 (0.2%) between March and April 2026. This is based on administrative data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). When looking at February to April 2026, the period comparable with our Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, the number of payrolled employees fell by 103,000 (0.3%) over the year and by 31,000 (0.1%) over the quarter. The early estimate of payrolled employees for May 2026 decreased by 119,000 (0.4%) on the year, but was largely unchanged on the month, increasing by just 2,000 (0.0%) to ... (full story)