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This page was last updated at 09:30 on 8 December 2023
Around 4 in 10 people identified as homeless in 2021 were disabled
6 December 2023
People identified as homeless in Census 2021 were twice as likely as the rest of the population to be disabled.
Of those identified as homeless on census day (meaning those who were in hostels or homeless shelters, but not those sleeping rough), 4 in 10 (44.1%) were disabled. This compares with 17.5% of people in the wider population.
People identified as homeless were also 8 years younger on average than the wider population. Females identified as homeless were on average 16 years younger than the rest of the female population.
People identified as homeless were more likely than the rest of the population to hold no formal qualifications and were also disproportionately likely to identify within “Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African”, “Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups”, or “Other ethnic group”.
Black Friday gives boost to retail spending
1 December 2023
Spending on debit cards in the UK, as measured by Revolut, rose by 9% in the week to 26 November, compared with the week before.
The largest increase was in “retail”, with spending up 17%. This is in line with expected Black Friday weekend and pre-Christmas spending patterns.
Total Revolut debit card spending is 6% higher than the level seen in the equivalent week in 2022. Five of the six spending sectors increased in this time, with ”food and drink” reporting the largest increase of 11%.
Spending in ”pubs, restaurants, and fast food” fell by 3% when compared with the equivalent week of 2022.
- Read our latest Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators bulletin
Renters and parents more likely to report running out of food
4 December 2023
People with children and those living in rented accommodation are among groups more likely to report a range of impacts from cost-of-living pressures, such as running out of food.
Between 12 July and 1 October 2023, 8% of parents living with a dependent child reported running out of food and being unable to afford more, compared with 5% of adults overall. Among renters, 13% reported running out of food.
Among parents of dependent children who were also renters, one in five (21%) reported running out of food before they could afford to buy more.
Lone parents were also particularly likely to be affected: 61% of lone adults living with at least one dependent child reported difficulty affording their rent or mortgage payments, compared with 40% of all adults making such payments.
Difficulty affording rent and mortgage payments was also more common among Asian and Asian British adults (56%), and Black, African, Caribbean or Black British adults (51%).
Around 3 in 10 adults (29%) said they would not be able to afford an unexpected expense of £850 or more. This rose to 40% of disabled adults and 53% of renters. Among disabled adults who were renters, two-thirds (66%) reported being unable to afford such an expense.
- Read our full Impacts of increased cost of living on adults across Great Britain: July to October 2023 bulletin
Large pay gaps remain between Black British and White employees
29 November 2023
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British workers consistently earned less than their White counterparts over an 11-year period.
The Annual Population Survey revealed that between 2012 and 2022, White employees earned £14.35 per hour (median gross hourly pay), while Black, African, Caribbean or Black British workers earned £13.53 per hour – 82 pence less.
Between 2012 and 2022, they were the only ethnicity group to consistently earn less than White employees.
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees consistently earned less than White employees between 2012 and 2022
Raw pay gaps, five-category ethnicity, United Kingdom, 2012 to 2022
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Analysis also revealed that country of birth affected how much employees earned.
UK-born Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees earn more (£15.18) , while non-UK-born Black British employees earned less (£12.95) when compared with UK-born White employees (£14.26).
When controlling for pay-determining characteristics, to provide an adjusted pay gap based on a like-for-like comparison, we see the pay gap narrow and, in some, instances, reverse. For example, UK-born Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees, went from earning 6.5% more to earning 5.6% less compared with White employees.
With the declining sample of the Annual Population Survey (APS) and increased uncertainty since 2020, estimates covering the period 2020 to 2022 should be used with caution. This analysis predates the latest issues with the Labour Force Survey (LFS) data.
- Read our full UK Labour Market bulletin
Inflation falls to lowest level in almost two years
15 November 2023
The rate at which prices of goods and services are rising has fallen to the lowest level since November 2021, according to the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH).
Annual CPIH inflation, rose by 4.7% in the year to October 2023, down from 6.3% in September.
CPIH inflation has fallen from a recent peak of 9.6% in October 2022, which was the highest in over 40 years according to indicative estimates.
Some of the main downward effects on inflation came from housing and household services, particularly gas and electricity prices.
Gas prices fell 31.0% in the year to October 2023, while electricity prices fell by 15.6%. These are the lowest annual inflation rates for gas and electricity since records began in January 1989.
Energy prices remain high, however. The price of gas in October 2023 was around 60% higher than two years previously, while the price of electricity was 40% higher.
- Read our full Consumer price inflation bulletin
Real terms pay continues to rise as vacancies keep falling
14 November 2023
Annual pay growth in real terms (adjusted for inflation) across Great Britain rose on the year by 1.4% for total pay (including bonuses) and 1.3% for regular pay (excluding bonuses), respectively, according to the latest data from the UK Labour Market Survey.
By contrast, annual growth for regular pay (not adjusted for inflation) was 7.7% in July to September 2023. Though slightly lower than previous periods, this remains one of the highest annual growth rates since comparable records began in 2001.
Estimated UK job vacancies fell in August to October 2023 for the 16th consecutive period, dropping by 58,000 vacancies to 957,000 on the quarter. This represents a decrease of 5.7% since May to July 2023 across 16 of the 18 industry sectors.
- Read our full UK Labour Market bulletin