UK unemployment rises as Mideast war hits jobs market
Britain's unemployment rate edged up to five percent in the first quarter of 2026, official data showed Tuesday, as the economic fallout from the Middle East war began to bite.
It was a slight increase from the 4.9 percent jobless rate seen in the three months to the end-February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Economists had expected the rate to remain unchanged.
"The labour market remains soft, with vacancies at their lowest level in five years and unemployment higher than a year ago," said Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS.
