UK unemployment rises by 25,000 between April and June to 1.85m

The number of unemployed people in Britain rose by 25,000 quarter-on-quarter between April and June to 1.85m, 221,000 less than a year ago, official figures released on Wednesday showed.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people in employment fell by more analysts had expected, declining 63,000 to 31.035m in the period.

Growth in average weekly earnings fell from 3.2% to 2.4%, falling short of analysts’ expectations for a 2.8% reading, while the unemployment rate held steady at 5.6% after an unexpected increase in the quarter to May.

Meanwhile, excluding bonuses, average weekly earnings growth was flat at 2.8% as expected and the number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell by 4,900 to 792,400.