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

Forexpros - The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the U.K. rose less-than-expected in September, 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 17,500 in September, below expectations for an increase of 24,000.The previous month's figure was revised down to 19,100 from a previously reported 20,300.The rate of unemployment rose to 8.1% from 7.9% in August, confounding expectations for an unchanged reading. The report also said that the average earnings index rose more-than-expected in August, climbing by a seasonally adjusted 2.8%, above expectations for a 2.7% gain. Following the release of the data, the pound added to gains against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD climbing 0.67% to trade at 1.5682.Meanwhile, European stock markets were higher. The FTSE 100 rose 0.1%, the EURO STOXX 50 climbed 0.5%, France's CAC 40 advanced 0.45%, while Germany's DAX jumped 0.9%.
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