March Unemployment Ticks Lower; Apr.........>

UK DATA: March Unemployment Ticks Lower; Apr Claimant Count Soars

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--CLAIM COUNT DATA CUT OFF APR 12, 69.1% rise in claimant count 

- JAN-MAR LFS JOBLESS RATE 3.9% VS 4.0% DEC-FEB 

- JAN-MAR AVG TOTAL EARNINGS +2.4% VS +2.8% PRIOR 

- JAN-MAR AVG EARNINGS EX-BONUS +2.7% VS +2.9% PRIOR 

- APR CLAIMANT COUNT up 856,500 to 2,096,600

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The UK's jobless rate ticked down to 3.9% in the 3-month to Mar, with the

employment rate rising to a new a new record high of 76.6%, with total

employment increasing by 211k to 33.144 million in Mar. However, the claimant

count surged by 856,500 in Apr to the highest level since Jul 1996, shifting the

claimant count rate up to 5.8%, marking the highest total since Jan 1997. Total

wage growth slowed to 2.4% in Mar, while AWE ex. bonuses ticked down to 2.7%.

Vacancies showed the largest quarterly fall on record, down 170k. The ONS

further noted a sharp fall in hours worked in the last week of Mar.