Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK fell by 96,000 (0.3%) between January 2025 and January 2026, but increased by 6,000 (0.0%) between December 2025 and January 2026. This is based on administrative data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). When looking at November 2025 to January 2026, the period comparable with our Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates, the number of payrolled employees fell by 109,000 (0.4%) over the year and by 31,000 (0.1%) over the quarter. The early estimate of payrolled employees for February 2026 decreased by 49,000 (0.2%) on the year, but increased by 20,000 (0.1%) on the month, to ... (full story)