Unemployment continues to fall
Unemployment fell by 27,000 in the three months to February to 1.34m, ONS figures show. The number of people in work was also virtually unchanged at a record high of 32.7m, with a jump of 179,000. The figure has increased by 457,000 over the past year, all among full-time employees and the self-employed. Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, had an estimated rise of 3.4%, before adjusting for inflation. When adjusted for inflation, pay, including bonuses, increased by 1.5% on the year, the highest figure since the summer of 2016.