British unemployment rose for the third month running in April when the number of people claiming jobless benefits increased by 8,100 from March to 839,400 people, official data showed May 18. March's figure was revised higher to 831,300 people compared with 828,700 the previous month, National Statistics said.
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.7%, remaining at the lowest level for 30 years. This was in line also with analysts' consensus forecasts, although economists had predicted a claimant increase of 11,000.
One area that continued to shed labor was the manufacturing sector, where employment fell by 82,000, or 2.5%, in the three months to March on a 12-month comparison. This was the lowest level since comparable records began in 1978.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005
