Bonuses push up average UK earnings

Data released today shows that the number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the UK fell for the tenth month in a row in March dropping 4,200 to 882,200, keeping the unemployment rate unchanged at 2.9%.

The ILO measure of unemployment fell by 33,000 in the three months to February to 1.43 million, the lowest total in 20 years. This kept the rate at 4.8%, a record low.