ONS stats | Wages have highest annual growth since records began

UK unemployment has grown in the three months to June as the average pay of workers reaches record levels, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal.

According to the figures, the unemployment rate reached 4.2% in the most recent quarter, up 0.3% from the previous one. It is the highest rate of unemployment since the three months to October 2021, bringing the rate above pre-pandemic levels.

The average wage is also at a record high, the figures show. Regular pay, excluding bonuses, reached 7.8% compared to the year before, the highest annual growth rate since records began in 2001.

Real pay rose 0.1% in the year, the first time since October 2021 that real wages have increased, said the ONS. But when adjusting for Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation, the measure was 0.6% down on the year, the smallest reduction seen since November 2021.