Unemployment levels in the UK have unexpectedly fallen to the lowest level since last summer as inactivity in the jobs market increases and vacancies tumble.
Joblessness has been on the rise over the past 15 months, but after hitting 5.2 per cent for the three months to December 2025, it hovered at that level for January before now falling to 4.9 per cent in the three months to February 2026, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
