Britain's unemployment rate held at 3.7% in the three months to December, the Office for National Statistics said today.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected the rate to remain at 3.7%, not far above its lowest level in almost 50 years.
The ONS also said pay including bonuses rose by an annual 5.9% in the October-to-December period while pay excluding bonuses rose by 6.7%.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected total pay to rise by 6.2% and the ex-bonuses measure to increase by 6.5%.
The pace of pay growth in Britain is being monitored closely by the Bank of England as it gauges how much higher to raise interest rates.
