A sharper-than-expected fall in the unemployment rate has been marred by figures showing that wages are not rising in line with the improving economy.
In figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the jobless total fell 161,000 to 2.16 million in the three months to April - giving the UK a jobless rate of 6.6%.
Employment growth of 345,000 in the period amounted to another new record while the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month fell by 27,400 to 1.09 million.
But the wider figures also charted a decline in wage growth - with the annual figure including bonuses measured just 0.7% above the level seen in April 2013.
It marked, the ONS said, a 1% fall in April alone and was blamed on last year's figure being boosted by delayed bonus payments.
With annual pay growth running at just 0.7%, it means consumers are still far from escaping the squeeze from rising prices as CPI inflation runs at 1.8%.
The decline could be excused as an anomaly but it has also been suggested that firms are continuing to keep wage rises in check as a consequence of hiring more staff to recover growth lost during the financial crisis.
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