UK employers made significant layoffs in April as the Iran war cast a shadow over economic prospects

```htmlGolden Ten Data reported on May 19 that the UK Office for National Statistics stated on Tuesday: tax data reveals that as the war in Iran continues, labor demand is weakening, and UK employers implemented significant layoffs in April. After the number of employees paid through payroll decreased by 28,000 in March, it further dropped by 100,000 in April, far exceeding economists' expectations of a decline of 10,000, with the largest share from the retail sector. The UK's three-month ILO unemployment rate for March rose to 5% from 4.9% in February, while the number of job vacancies fell to the lowest since 2021. Economists are lowering their 2026 economic growth forecasts due to another round of energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict. Although the economy achieved healthy growth of 0.6% in the first quarter, forecasters expect UK economic growth to return to a flatter level for the rest of this year.```