Unemployment has unexpectedly risen to its highest level for five years and wage growth has slowed again as the UK jobs market continues to come under pressure, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of unemployment lifted to 5.2% in the three months to December, up from 5.1% in the three months to November.
This was the highest since the three months to January 2021 and the highest for over a decade outside of the pandemic era.
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