7 resultsfor “UK unemployment rate March 2026”
UK unemployment rate [jumped back to 5% in March](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/19/uk-unemployment-iran-war-pay-growth) appears to be the latest evidence that the Iran war has snuffed out the economic upturn Rachel Reeves had hoped
unemployment was up in the three months to March, from 4.9% in February, a rate that City economists had expected to hold. More up-to-date tax data showed the number of payrolled employees dropped
rate on hold at 3.75%. The Iran war began on 28 February, meaning the jobs data does not reflect how employers have responded to rising energy costs. However, more up-to-date tax data released
March down 65,000 on the same month a year ago. Sanjay Raja, the chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, said: “Despite the labour market seemingly entering the Iran conflict on better footing, we would
unemployment to hit 5.8% by the middle of 2027, up from the current [five-year high of 5.2%](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/17/uk-unemployment-rate-ons-interest-rates), with almost 250,000 more people losing their jobs because of the crisis
unemployment was falling. The hits to the UK population range from the relatively trivial to the potentially terrifying. London house prices have tumbled as sellers become nervous and buyers sit tight, but some observers have
rates to slow the pace of price rises. IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told the BBC a prolonged conflict would lead to spiralling inflation, push up unemployment and lead to food insecurity in some