Official statistics reveal that the number of people missing work due to illness has reached a new record high.
According to the Office for National Statistics, about 2.6 million people are not working as a result of chronic health issues, up from over 2.5 million last month.
It happened at a time when the UK's unemployment rate decreased from 3.9 percent to 3.8 percent in the three months leading up to April.
Outside of the pandemic, wages grew at their fastest rate on record. Despite this, they still underperform the cost of living.
According to the ONS's Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics: "With the exception of the time when the figures were skewed by the pandemic, basic pay is now growing at its fastest rate since current records began.
"Even so, wage growth has not kept up with inflation. " .
The UK economy is currently having trouble expanding as households are being squeezed by the skyrocketing cost of living and rising interest rates.
The total number of people employed reached its highest level ever in the three months leading up to April, demonstrating the resilience of the jobs market.
The number of people who are out of the labor force because of long-term illness is still increasing even though the number of those who are neither working nor looking for work decreased once more.
The ONS attributes the rise to mental health problems in young people and people experiencing back and neck pain, possibly as a result of working from home.
One person with a long-term illness is employed for every twelve people who are otherwise healthy.
