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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Holly Williams

Jobless rate rises and vacancies slump to lowest level in five years – ONS

Office for National Statistics
Most economists had expected the rate to remain unchanged (Alamy/PA) -

Britain’s rate of unemployment has unexpectedly risen as vacancies slumped to their lowest level for five years amid a sharp pull back in hiring across under-pressure retail and hospitality sectors, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the jobless rate rose to 5% in the three months to March, up from 4.9% in the three months to February.

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