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British unemployment rate drops to 5.8 pct

Xinhua, January 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

The British unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in the three months to November 2014 from 7.1 percent a year earlier, marking its lowest level since mid-2008, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Wednesday.

The unemployment rate was also lower than the market estimation consensus of 5.9 percent.

The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 for the period from September to November was 73.0 percent, similar to that in the previous quarter.

In the same period, British employees' total pay was 1.7 percent higher than a year earlier. Pay excluding bonuses for employees was 1.8 percent higher, noted ONS.

Latest figures showed that the British consumer prices index (CPI) grew by 0.5 percent in the year to December 2014.

Claims for unemployment benefit, fell by 29,700 to 867,700 in December from the previous month. Compared with a year earlier, it was down by 370,800, data showed. Endit