How tight is the UK labour market?

With the unemployment rate touching 25-year lows and some signs of a pick-up in earnings growth, concern has again focussed on how much scope the labour market has to meet the requirements of the above-trend growth forecast for the UK. This article by David Tinsley reviews some of the evidence for how 'tight' the UK labour market is. It suggests that, although the labour market has probably tightened over the last year or so, the headline figures give a somewhat misleading picture. It goes on to argue that there are a number of other margins for adjustment by which the demands of the robust growth forecast for the UK over the next few years can be met without igniting significant inflationary pressure.