UK sees overall unemployment fall to 7.8 percent
London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Unemployment fell by 17,000 in the United Kingdom to 2.48 million during the three months ending in February.
That brought the unemployment rate to 7.8 percent, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It marked the first time since last fall that unemployment fell in the UK.
However, the number of people claiming unemployment compensation payments rose to 1.45 million, ONS officials said.
The unemployment rate for men fell by 31,000 while the number of jobless women rose by 14,000 for the three months ending in February. Some 462,300 women are claiming jobless benefits, which is the highest number since October 1996.
Along with women, people in the 16- to 24-year-old group saw unemployment rise by 143,000 to 963,000. However, people in the 50- to 64-year-old age group had no change in their unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, while the rate for those over 65 fell to 1.9 percent.
The total number of unemployed people rose by 143,000 people to 29.23 million, according to ONS statistics.
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