The number of unemployed people in the UK rose by 6,000 in the third quarter of 2007, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.
In total 1.66 million people were unemployed during the three months to September, but the rate remained unchanged at 5.4 per cent because of an increase in total employment numbers.
The number of those economically inactive during this period, which includes people claiming benefits, looking for work and refusing jobs, rose by 8,000.
"Overall the unemployment and earnings data do little to dissuade us from the view that the Bank of England is unlikely to cut interest rates before February," Howard Archer of research firm Global Insight commented.
He explained that labour data showed a continuation of an extended period of prosperity seen since late 2005, but warned that a slowdown in UK economic growth would begin to have an effect in the first months of next year.
Average earnings including bonuses rose by 4.1 per cent in the quarter, an increase of 0.4 per cent from the previous month.
"Despite a still tightening labour market, there still appears to be sufficient slack to limit workers' bargaining power," Mr Archer added.
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