UK unemployment rises for first time since coronavirus lockdown

Britain’s unemployment rate rose for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown began in March, official data showed on Tuesday.

The unemployment rate increased to 4.1 per cent in the three months to July from 3.9 per cent in the April-June period, the Office for National Statistics said.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected the unemployment rate to rise to 4.1 per cent.

However, a fall in the number of people in employment was less severe than expected at 12,000, compared with a median forecast for a fall of 125,000 in the Reuters poll.