UK Jan jobs mixed: Claimant count drops unexpectedly, jobless rate climbs

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) noted on Wednesday, the UK’s official jobless rate came in at 4.4% in December, while the claimant count figures surprised positively.

The number of people claiming jobless benefits dropped unexpectedly by 7.2k in December, against expectations of a 4.1k increase and 6.2k (revised from 8.6k) seen previously. The claimant count rate also dropped to 2.3%.

Wage growth, excluding bonuses, bettered expectations, arriving at 2.5% versus 2.3% last, while the gauge including bonuses remained unchanged at 2.5% 3m y/y versus 2.5% expected.