Forexpros – The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the U.K. fell unexpectedly in April, recording the largest monthly drop since July 2010, official data showed on Wednesday.
In a report, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said that the claimant count fell by a seasonally adjusted 13,700 in April, defying expectations for an increase of 5,000.
The previous month’s figure was revised to a drop of 5,400 from a previously reported gain of 3,600.
The rate of unemployment ticked down unexpectedly to 8.2% from 8.3%, down for the second consecutive month.
According to the data, the total number of unemployed people stood at 2.65 million last month.
The report also said that the average earnings index rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in April, below expectations for a 1.0% gain, after rising by 1.1% in the previous month.
Following the release of the data, the pound held on to modest losses against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD dipping 0.13% to trade at 1.5973.
Meanwhile, European stock markets remained broadly lower. London’s FTSE 100 dropped 1%, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.55%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.35%, while Germany’s DAX slumped 0.95%.
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