Sickness drags down UK economy as job vacancies go unfilled

Rishi Sunak wants growth, but ONS figures show rising levels of inactivity because of ill-health

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Unwelcome though it is for a government facing strikes by doctors and nurses in the months ahead, the message from the latest labour market figures is clear: Britain is already the sick man of Europe.

More than 2.5 million people who are economically inactive cite long-term sickness as the reason why they are not looking for a job – and the number is rising sharply.