Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of labour market data released by the Office for National Statistics on 15 April showing a decline in payrolled employment; and what part the recent changes in employer National Insurance contributions played in that decline.

The latest provisional estimates of payrolled employee numbers from HMRC Real Time Information show there were 30.3 million employees on Payrolls in April. Payrolled employee numbers fell by 33,000 on the month and 106,000 on the year in April 2025.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) provides independent economic forecasts and assesses the impact of government policy decisions. With all policies considered, the OBR's March 2025 EFO forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.