UK sees workers on payroll rise above pre-pandemic level

LONDON (AP) — Official figures show that the number of workers on payroll in the U.K. has risen above the level that existed before the coronavirus pandemic struck more than a year and a half ago. The Office for National Statistics also revealed Tuesday that job vacancies remained above a million for the second month running, clear evidence that the British economy is experiencing worker shortages in an array of sectors, particularly hospitality, as a result of the pandemic and Britain’s departure from the European Union. Wages also rose steeply, though the agency stressed that the figures continue to be skewed by the impact of the pandemic on wages a  year ago.