MW: British jobless claims see unexpected January rise
By William L. Watts
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The number of British workers claiming jobless benefits rose by a seasonally-adjusted 2,400 in January to 1.46 million, the Office for National Statistics reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast a decline of 3,000. Workers claiming benefits equal 4.5% of the workforce, unchanged from December and in line with forecasts. The unemployment rate for the October-December period was 7.9%, up from 7.8% in the previous quarter. The total number of unemployed rose by 44,000 to 2.49 million. Average earnings in the three months ending in December rose 2.3% compared to the same period the previous year, unchanged from the rate seen in the three months ending in November.
