Biggest rise in 5 years for unemployed

THE jobless total increased in the last quarter of 2017 by the biggest amount since early 2013.

There were 1.47million unemployed, an increase of 46,000, giving a jobless rate of 4.4%, the Office for National Statistics said.

The number of people from outside the EU working in the UK fell by 68,000 to 1.17 million.

And the number of people from EU countries working here increased by 101,000 to 2.35 million, the smallest rise since 2013.

Earnings rose by 2.5% on average last year.

TUC boss Frances O’Grady said: “The great pay squeeze continues.”