Jobless claims in the UK fell unexpectedly in April, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday.
The claimant count in April was 1.59 million, down 13,700 from the previous month. Economists expected an increase of 5,000. The previous month's change was revised to show a decrease of 5,400 from gain of 3,600 reported earlier.
The claimant count rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent. Economists expected an increase to 5 percent.
The unemployment rate during the three months through March fell by 0.2 percentage points from the previous three months to 8.2 percent. Economists had forecast the rate to be at 8.4 percent.
The number of unemployed persons totaled 2.63 million in the March quarter, down 45,000 from previous three months.
Meanwhile, the statistical office said that the increase in the number of employed was entirely driven by an increase in part-time employment.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.