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UK Adds 2,000 Jobs, Unemployment Falls to 4.9%

6/18/2026

24 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Office for National Statistics reported that Britain added 2,000 jobs in May, beating a forecast of a 23,000-job drop.
Unemployment fell to 4.9% in the three months to April, down from 5%.
Job vacancies declined to 707,000 in the March-to-May period, the lowest level since February-to-April 2021.
Analysts expect the Bank of England to keep its key rate at 3.75% at Thursday’s decision.

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Story summary

The Office for National Statistics reported that Britain added 2,000 jobs in May, beating a forecast of a 23,000-job drop.
Unemployment fell to 4.9% in the three months to April, down from 5%.
Job vacancies declined to 707,000 in the March-to-May period, the lowest level since February-to-April 2021.
Analysts expect the Bank of England to keep its key rate at 3.75% at Thursday’s decision.