UK unemployment jumps to six-month high after economy cools

Britain’s unemployment rate rose unexpectedly to the highest in six months as the number of jobs in the economy shrank, an indication that the once red-hot labour market has cooled.

The jobless rate rose to 4.2 per cent in the three months to February from 4 per cent in the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday. It was the highest since the summer of 2023.

The figures provided a tentative sign ...