UK unemployment shows surprise fall to 4.9% as pay growth drops to lowest in five years
Bank of England expected to keep interest rates on hold as Iran war casts shadow over labour market
Unemployment in the UK unexpectedly fell in the three months to February, according to official figures – but the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East is expected to cause a rise in job cuts.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the rate of unemployment was 4.9% in the three months to February, the lowest level since last summer. This compares with 5.2% in the three months to January, a rate that economists had expected to also see in February.
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