Shops, restaurants and hotels particularly hit by slowdown in hiring, as unemployment remains at 5.1% Business live – latest updatesThe number of employed people in the UK has fallen, particularly in shops, restaurants, bars and hotels, reflecting weak hiring, while private sector wages grew at the slowest rate in five years, official figures show.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the number of employees on payrolls fell by 43,000 in December from the previous month, to 30.2 million – the biggest monthly drop since November 2020. Continue reading...