The unemployment rate was 5.1%, lower than for a year earlier (5.8%). It has not been lower since August to October 2005. The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labour force (those in work plus those unemployed) that were unemployed.
There were 1.68 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 99,000 fewer than for June to August 2015 and 239,000 fewer than for a year earlier.
There were 919,000 unemployed men, 149,000 fewer than for a year earlier. There were 756,000 unemployed women, 89,000 fewer than for a year earlier.
There were 31.39 million people in work, 267,000 more than for June to August 2015 and 588,000 more than for a year earlier.
There were 22.96 million people working full-time, 436,000 more than for a year earlier. There were 8.43 million people working part-time, 152,000 more than for a year earlier.
The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were in work) was 74.0%, the highest since comparable records began in 1971.
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 0.2% in the year to December 2015, compared with a 0.1% rise in the year to November 2015.
Although this is the first month since January 2015 for which the rate has exceeded 0.1%, this continues the trend since early 2015 of the rate being very close to zero.
Movements in transport costs, particularly air fares and to a lesser extent motor fuels, were the main contributors to the rise in the rate.
Downward pressures from prices for alcohol and tobacco along with food and non-alcoholic beverages partially offset the rise
