U.K. claimant count change rises less-than-expected

Forexpros - The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the U.K. rose significantly less-than-expected in November, while the unemployment rate remained at the highest level since 1996, official data showed on Wednesday.In a report, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said that the claimant count rose by a seasonally adjusted 3,000 in November, significantly below expectations for an increase of 17,000.The previous month's figure was revised down to a gain of 2,500 from a previously reported increase of 5,300.The rate of unemployment held steady at a 17-year high of 8.3% for the second consecutive month, in line with market expectations.According to the data, the total number of unemployed people stood at 2.64 million last month, the highest since September 1994.The report also said that the average earnings index rose by a seasonally adjusted 2.0% in November, in line with expectations, after rising 2.3% in the previous month. Following the release of the data, the pound remained higher against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD adding 0.22% to trade at 1.5514.Meanwhile, European stock markets held on to losses. The FTSE 100 fell 0.7%, the EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.9%, France's CAC 40 tumbled 1.25%, while Germany's DAX retreated 0.9%.
Forexpros - Forexpros offers a diverse set of professional tools for Forex, Futures and CFDs. These include real-time data streams, technical and fundamental analysis by in-house experts, and a widely used economic calendar and Forex News.