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UK unemployment rate falls to 4.9% and wages grow more than expected

The Guardian UK Thursday 18 June 2026, 06:33 UTC By Phillip Inman 1 min read
Key Points

Drop will put pressure on Bank of England to raise interest rates despite peace deal in Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesUnemployment fell and wages increased in April, official figures showed, putting pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates despite a peace deal in the Middle East. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed unemployment slipped to 4.9% in the three months to April from 5% in the three months to March.

Drop will put pressure on Bank of England to raise interest rates despite peace deal in Iran war

Unemployment fell and wages increased in April, official figures showed, putting pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates despite a peace deal in the Middle East.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed unemployment slipped to 4.9% in the three months to April from 5% in the three months to March.

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UK (LOCATION) Drop (ORG) Bank of England (ORG) Iran (LOCATION) the Bank of England (ORG) the Middle East (LOCATION) the Office for National Statistics (ONS (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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