The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 97,000 to
1.86 million in the three months to December.
The unemployment rate now stands at 5.7% of the adult
working population, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The ONS said the employment rate, or level of people in
work, was 73.2%, its joint highest rate.
Average earnings including bonuses were up 2.1% in the
quarter compared with a year earlier.
Excluding bonuses, earnings rose by 1.7%.
CPI inflation was 0.5% in December, and new data released on
Tuesday showed the rate fell to 0.3% in January, its lowest level since records
began.
James Sproule, chief economist at the Institute of Directors
(IoD), said wages would continue to rise as competition for talent intensified.
"Two-thirds of IoD members [are] planning pay rises at least in line with
inflation over the coming months," he added.
Employment increased by 103,000 to close to 31 million - the
highest since records began in 1971.
Over the quarter the number of self-employed fell 19,000 to
4.4 million.
Long-term unemployment also fell, by 210,000 among those out
of work for more than a year, to 638,000.
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