2020.12.1506:33:00UTC+00UK Jobless Rate Rises; Employment Rate Falls

The UK unemployment increased in three months to October and the employment rate declined as the pandemic weighed on job creation.

The unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent in three months to October, the Office for National Statistics reported Tuesday. Economists had forecast the rate to climb to 5.1 percent from 4.8 percent registered in three months to September.

The number of people looking for jobs increased by 241,000 from the previous quarter.

At the same time, the employment rate decreased 0.5 percentage points from the preceding period to 75.2 percent in three months to October.

Data showed that redundancies increased in August to October by a record 217,000 on the quarter, to a record high of 370,000.

In three months to October, total pay including bonuses increased to 2.7 percent from last year, and growth in regular pay, excluding bonuses gained to 2.8 percent.

In November, the number of people claiming unemployment benefits climbed 64,300 from the previous month.