British unemployment rate drops to 5.6 pct in Feb.

British unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent in the three-month to February 2015, lower than the 5.7 percent of the three-month to January 2015, recording the lowest level since mid-2008, data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show on Friday.

The unemployment rate is in line with the market estimation consensus.

There were 1.84 million unemployed people in the three-month to February 2015, down by 76,000 for September to November 2014, and 416,000 less than a year earlier, data showed.

The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 in the three-month to February was 73.4 percent, the highest since comparable records began in 1971, figures showed.

There were 31.05 million people in employment aged 16 and over, 248,000 more than for September to November 2014 and 557,000 more than for a year earlier, said the statistics department of the government.

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.

Official figures showed that British consumer prices index (CPI) fell to zero in the year to February 2015.

Claims for unemployment benefit, however, fell by 20,700 from the previous month to total 772,400 in March 2015. Compared with a year earlier, it was down by 369,400, data also showed. Endit