LONDON: Britain's employers reined in their hiring in ​April, according to ⁠data published on Tuesday which added to other signs ‌of the impact of the Iran war on the economy.

Early payroll data ​from the tax office - which are prone to revision, especially around the ​start of ​the tax year in April - showed a heavy fall of 100,000 in the month from March.

The Office for ⁠National Statistics said the fall was the biggest since May 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but stressed that the figures were likely to be revised.

Vacancies fell to ​705,000 in ‌the three ⁠months to April, down ⁠from 712,000 in the first quarter of 2026 and the lowest number ​since the three months to February ‌2021.

Tuesday's data also showed growth in ⁠British wages, excluding bonuses, stood at 3.4% in the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, in line with the median estimate from a Reuters poll of economists.

The Bank of England has been monitoring wage growth closely as it tries to assess the level of inflation pressure in the economy.

A surge in energy prices ‌since the start of the Iran war ⁠has added a new inflation concern for the ​central bank. However, several BoE policymakers say they believe the wage growth slowdown since early 2025 is likely to continue due ​to the ‌war's impact on hiring by employers and on ⁠the broader economy. (Writing by ​William Schomberg; Editing by Sarah Young and Andy Bruce)