Britain’s jobless rate has risen unexpectedly and the number of workers on payrolls has fallen by the most since the height of the pandemic, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of unemployment increased to 4.4% in the three months to November, up from 4.3% in the three months to October.
The number of payrolled employees was estimated to have tumbled by 47,000 during December to 30.3 million – the biggest drop since November 2020.
It follows a revised 32,000 fall the previous month.
But the statistics showed wage growth rose again, with average regular pay surging to 5.6% in the three months to November and outstripping Consumer Prices Index inflation by 3.4%.
ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: “Pay growth picked up for a second consecutive period, again driven by strong increases in the private sector. Real pay growth, which excludes the effects of inflation, increased slightly.
“The number of employees on payroll, drawn from tax data, fell in the three months to November.”
She added: “Alongside this, the number of vacancies fell again, for the 30th consecutive period, although the total number remains slightly above its pre-pandemic level.”
