UK Unemployment Rate Jumps to 4.2%

London, Britains unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in the three months through February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Tuesday. It is the highest level for nearly six months and up from 3.9% in the three months to January. Most economists had been expecting the rate to only edge up slightly to 4% in the quarter. The official figures also showed regular wages growth, excluding bonuses, falling back once again, to 6% in the three months to February from 6.1% in the previous three months. Thanks to falling inflation, when taking the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) into account, real regular wages rose by 2.1%, which is the highest for almost two-and-a-half years. Source: Qatar News Agency