Unemployment in surprise fall but job vacancies hit lowest level in five years (opens original article in a new tab)

UK unemployment fell slightly to 4.9% but job vacancies hit a five-year low, with firms reducing hiring due to economic uncertainty and rising costs.

• Unemployment in the UK fell to 4.9% for the three months to May
• Job vacancies dropped to the lowest level in over five years, with a 19,000 quarter-on-quarter decline
• Wage growth remained at 3.4%, outpacing inflation but with uncertainty over the Bank of England's interest rate decision