THE UK’s unemployment rate rose to 4.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, the highest level since August 2021, according to official figures released on Tuesday.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the figure was up from 4.4 per cent in the three months to the end of February.
The data covers a period before April’s rise in business tax announced in the Labour government’s first budget in October. It also comes before a 10 per cent baseline tariff on the UK and other countries imposed by US President Donald Trump last month.
“The broader picture continues to be of the (UK) labour market cooling, with the number of employees on payroll falling in the first quarter of the year,” said Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics.
“Wage growth slowed slightly in the latest period but remains relatively strong, with public and private sectors... showing little difference,” she added.
Analysts said the figures could lead the Bank of England to cut interest rates twice more this year, after two reductions earlier in 2025.
“While the jobs market weakened further, this isn't feeding through to a marked easing in pay growth,” said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics.
“That will probably keep the Bank of England cutting interest rates at the current pace of once every quarter.”
She added, “Further softening in employment in April suggests businesses continued to respond to the rise in business taxes and the minimum wage by reducing headcount.”
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Russell Brand leaves Southwark Crown Court after entering not guilty pleas
Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges involving four women ahead of 2026 trial
Russell Brand, once a regular on TV screens and now a high-profile online figure, appeared in a London court on Friday and denied all allegations of rape and sexual assault. The case, involving accusations from four different women, will now move towards a trial scheduled for 3 June 2026.
The 49-year-old, known for his past work in comedy and film, as well as for his recent outspoken online presence, faces five charges: one of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assaults, and one of indecent assault. The alleged incidents happened between 1999 and 2005, a time when Brand was climbing the ladder in Britain’s entertainment industry.
The courtroom appearance was brief but closely watched. Dozens of journalists were present as Brand stood in a glass enclosure at Southwark Crown Court. Dressed in a dark suit and open-collared shirt, he said “not guilty” to each charge.
One of the most serious allegations involves an incident during a political event in Bournemouth in 1999. A woman claims Brand raped her in a hotel room after a Labour Party conference. Other accusations include unwanted sexual advances and assaults at a TV station and a party in London.
Brand has rejected all accusations since they first surfaced in a joint media investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches in 2023. He later posted a video on social media calling himself a former addict and flawed individual, but insisted he never acted without consent.
The trial is expected to last four to five weeks. Due to a backlog in the UK’s court system, such delays between a plea and trial are common. British law protects the identities of people who report sexual assault unless they choose to go public and also restricts pre-trial reporting to avoid influencing jurors.
Once a mainstream star with roles in hit films and a high-profile marriage to singer Katy Perry, Brand has since reinvented himself as an online commentator. His YouTube channel, filled with politically charged and often controversial content, has millions of followers.
For now, Brand remains free while awaiting trial in a high-profile case that will unfold years after the alleged events took place.