The number of Britons claiming jobless benefit rose less than expected in May, although the rate was its highest in more than a decade, official data showed today.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose by 39,300 last month, much less than the 60,000 increase forecast by analysts and less than a downwardly revised 49,600 in April.
However, the claimant count rate rose to 4.8 per cent, the highest since November 1997.
The number of people without a job on the wider ILO jobless measure rose to 2.261 million in the three months to April, the highest since November 1996. The rate rose to 7.2 per cent, below forecasts for 7.3 per cent, but still the highest since July 1997.
Average earnings rose more than expected to 0.8 per cent in the three months to April, reflecting the timing of bonus payments in the financial services sector, the ONS said.
Excluding bonuses, earnings growth was lower than expected, and the weakest since records began in 2001.
Reuters