
Britain’s jobless rate has surged to its highest level for more than four-and-a-half years and wage growth has slowed further as the labour market continues to weaken, according to official figures.
Latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a worse-than-expected rise in the rate of unemployment, to 5% in the three months to September, up from 4.8% in the three months to August and the highest level since early 2021.