The number of temporary employees in the UK fell by 5.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis to a total of approximately 1.46 million for the three-month period from March through May 2019 when compared to the same period a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Temporary workers are self-identified when surveyed by the ONS, and they include those who are on fixed-period contracts, agency temp workers, casual workers, seasonal workers and others in temporary work.

The number of temporary employees as a percentage of total employment was 5.3%, down from 5.7% compared to the same period a year ago.

Compared to the previous period ended in March 2019, the number of temporary employees also saw a decrease of 1.2%.

Of the 1.46 million temporary employees during the period ended May 2019, approximately 365,500 were temporary because they could not find a permanent job; 461,840 did not want a permanent job; 129,900 had a contract with a period of training; and 509,500 cited other reasons.

ONS also published labour market figures for the three-month period ended May 2019.

The UK employment rate was estimated at 76.0%, higher than a year earlier (75.6%). 

At the same time, the UK unemployment rate was estimated at 3.8%; it has not been lower since October to December 1974.

The UK economic inactivity rate was estimated at 20.9%, lower than a year earlier (21.0%).

Excluding bonuses, average weekly earnings for employees in the UK were estimated to have increased by 3.6%, before adjusting for inflation, and by 1.7%, after adjusting for inflation, compared with a year earlier.

Including bonuses, average weekly earnings for employees in the UK were estimated to have increased by 3.4%, before adjusting for inflation, and by 1.4%, after adjusting for inflation, compared with a year earlier.

For the period from April to June 2019, there were an estimated 827,000 vacancies in the UK, 9,000 more than a year earlier.