UK unemployment rises unexpectedly in Jan

inspector_monkfish

09:30 17Feb10 UK JAN CLAIMANT COUNT +23,500 (CONS. -10,000), BIGGEST RISE SINCE JULY 09; UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 5.0%

09:30 17Feb10 UK ILO JOBLESS -3,000 IN 3 MTHS TO DEC, RATE 7.8% (CONS. 7.8%)

09:30 17Feb10 UK LFS EMPLOYMENT -12,000 TO 28.905 MLN IN 3 MTHS TO DEC, LOWEST SINCE MAY-JULY 2009

09:30 17Feb10 UK AVG WEEKLY EARNINGS +0.8% 3 MTHS TO DEC YY, DEC ALONE +0.9% YY

09:30 17Feb10 UK AVG WEEKLY EARNINGS EX-BONUSES +1.2% 3 MTHS TO DEC YY, DEC ALONE +1.4% YY

09:30 17Feb10 TABLE-UK claimant count rises unexpectedly in Jan

LONDON, Feb 17 - The Office for National Statistics released the following provisional data for unemployment and average earnings on Wednesday. Data seasonally adjusted unless indicated:


CLAIMANT COUNT UNEMPLOYED JAN DEC (PREV DEC)
Monthly change +23,500* -9,600 (-15,200)
Rate 5.0 5.0 (5.0)
Unemployment level (mln) 1.6356 1.6121 (1.6065)

ILO UNEMPLOYMENT OCT09-DEC09 JUL09-SEP09 OCT08-DEC08
Total (mlns) 2.457 2.461 2.009
Rate 7.8 7.8 6.4
Change on qtr (000s) -3 n/a n/a

LFS TOTAL IN EMPLOYMENT
Total (mlns) 28.905** 28.917 29.333
Rate (age 16-64) 72.4 72.5 74.0
Change on qtr (000s) -12 n/a n/a

AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS (3mth yy figures except where stated)
DEC NOV
headline rate 0.8 0.8
single mth yy 0.9 1.0
headline rate ex-bonuses 1.2 1.2
single mth yy 1.4 1.1
private sector UNCH UNCH
public sector 3.7 3.8
public sector ex-fin svcs 2.6 2.7

NOTE - MARKET FORECASTS:
Claimant count -10,000
ILO unemployment rate 7.8 pct


VACANCIES (3MTHS) NOV-JAN OCT-DEC 09 NOV-JAN 09
Total 479,000 465,000 503,000

UNIT WAGE COSTS
Latest qtr yr/yr (Q3) 4.1
Manuf. only (3mths to Dec yy) -0.7

PRODUCTIVITY
Latest qtr yr/yr (Q3) -3.1
Manuf. only (3mths to Dec yy) 3.6

* Biggest monthly rise in claimant count since July 2009
** Lowest employment level since May-July 2009

NOTE - The ONS has replaced its previous Average Earnings
Index, which was based on monthly earnings, with a new index
based on weekly earnings -- with a new methodology which it says
provides a more reliable gauge of wage developments in the
economy.

robpw2

not really that unexpectantly dec chirstmas temps after december not needed any more

blueboy43

Good to see Public Sector wages ticking up. Not !

blueboy43

robpw2 wrote: »

not really that unexpectantly dec chirstmas temps after december not needed any more

Doh. Those economic forecasters must have missed that.

Graham_Devon

Hang on, Hang on....

I got a reason for this. It was obviously the snow.

Well....it gets blamed for everything else.

inspector_monkfish

LONDON--U.K. unemployment rose sharply in January after two
months of declines, while average earnings rose at a record-low pace for a third straight month, data showed Wednesday.

The Office for National Statistics said the widely-watched claimant count
measure of unemployment increased by 23,500, the biggest increase since July
2009. The jobless rate remained at 5%.

The increase, which compared with a revised fall of 9,600 in December, came as a surprise. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires last week had forecast a fall of 13,500, and a rate of 5.0%.

The ONS revised its claimant count estimate for December after originally
reporting a decrease of 15,200.

Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses were unchanged at 1.2% in the three months to December, the lowest rate since records began in 2001. The weekly measure avoids the problem of sharply fluctuating payments month-to-month distorting the measure of real, regular earnings.

From a month earlier, however, average weekly earnings rose 1.4%, up from the record-low rate of 1.1% in November.

The official measure of unemployment, formerly known as the International Labour Organization measure, meanwhile, fell 3,000 in the three months to end-December to total 2.46 million. That meant the unemployment rate stood at 7.8% over the same period, unchanged from the three months to September, the ONS said.

worldtraveller

Stoking up for the 3M+ in 2011.

Generali

robpw2 wrote: »

not really that unexpectantly dec chirstmas temps after december not needed any more

The numbers are seasonally adjusted so that shouldn't have any effect on the (un)employment stats, assuming the SA is done properly.

stonethrower

How come on BBC they are saying unemployment fell by 3000

inspector_monkfish

stonethrower wrote: »

How come on BBC they are saying unemployment fell by 3000

all lies !!

Really2

stonethrower wrote: »

How come on BBC they are saying unemployment fell by 3000

They have looked at the 1/4. They will change it later when they catch up.
When the Halifax came out this month they reported on the months before figures for the first hour.