The unemployment rate increased to 5.2 per cent in the three months to December, compared with 5.1 per cent in the period to November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figures released on Tuesday will come as a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has pledged to improve opportunity and rebuild the economy.
It’s the highest level of unemployment the UK has seen since January 2021, with the number of pay-rolled employees in the UK falling by 121,000 (0.4 per cent) last year.
This latest release is the latest sign that the jobs market is continuing to deteriorate.
The dismal figures follow Britain’s youth unemployment overtaking the EU
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PA
UK regular pay growth slowed to 4.2 per cent in the three months to December, and rose by 0.8 per cent in real terms after accounting for CPI inflation.