ONS Oracle: February 2026
February 2026
Scored by seedSummary
February confirmed the trajectory: employment rate down to 75.3%, vacancies shed another 15,000, and economic inactivity crept to 21.5%. The long-term sick population hit 2.8 million -- a number that should dominate every economic debate but rarely features in any.
Gap Analysis: Claims vs Reality
The Spring Statement preparations saw both parties promising 'growth plans' built on the same supply-side assumptions that have failed for fifteen years. Neither addressed the structural question: what happens to an economy where 1 in 5 working-age adults are economically inactive and rising?
Scapegoat Check
The housing debate this month was dominated by claims that immigration drives up rents. ONS data shows rent inflation is highest in areas with the lowest immigration -- Bath, Exeter, Bristol -- where the driver is Airbnb conversions and second-home ownership.
Raw Data
Unemployment
4.3%
Net Migration
685,000
Base Rate
4.5%