UK Unemployment Rate steadies at 4.2% in quarter to September vs. 4.2% expected

The UK Unemployment Rate steadied at 4.2% in the quarter to September.
The Claimant Count Change for Britain arrived at 17.8K in September.
GBP/USD holds steady near 1.2300 after the mixed UK jobs data.

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

The United Kingdom’s (UK) ILO Unemployment Rate held steady at 4.2% in the quarter to September, the latest data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Tuesday. The data matched market expectations of 4.2% in the September quarter.

Additional details showed that the number of people claiming jobless benefits climbed by 17.8K in September when compared to the previous jump of 20.4K.

The British Employment Change for September stood at -207K, compared with -82K recorded in August.

Average Earnings excluding Bonus in the UK rose 7.7% 3M YoY in September, as against a 7.8% increase registered in August. Markets had expected an increase of 7.7%. Another measure of wage inflation, Average Earnings including Bonus accelerated by 7.9% in the reported period vs. an 8.2% increase in August and the 7.4% expected.

The UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, told FXStreet: “We are leaving no stone unturned to help people into work, with a record number of employees on payrolls - up nearly 400,000 in the last year alone with 3.9 million more people in work than in 2010.”

“With our ambitious welfare reforms, including the expansion of free childcare and extra support for people with health conditions, we are taking long-term decisions that will grow the economy and change lives for the better,” Stride MP added.

GBP/USD reaction to the UK employment report

GBP/USD is picking up fresh bids but remains below 1.2300 after the mixed UK employment data. The pair is trading 0.08% higher on the day at 1.2286, as of writing.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

GBP/USD retreats from weekly high vs firmer USD as focus shifts to BoE, US data

The GBP/USD pair struggles to capitalize on the previous day's strong move up to the weekly high and drifts lower during the Asian session on Thursday. Spot prices currently trade around mid-1.3300s, down over 0.10% for the day, and, for now, seem to have stalled the recovery move from a nearly four-week low, touched on Tuesday.

EUR/USD edges lower to near 1.1450 ahead of German/ EU GDP

EUR/USD trades with mild losses around 1.1450 in the early European hours on Thursday. The US Dollar recovers ground on renewed Mideast hostilities, despite a cautious Fed hold. Traders now brace for preliminary readings of the second-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from Germany, the Eurozone and the US.

Gold extends intraday rejection slide from $4,100

Gold extends its intraday rejection slide from the $4,100 mark and moves further away from a one-week high, touched the previous day. The US Dollar regains positive traction following Wednesday's post-FOMC decline and is seen as a key factor weighing on the commodity.

Mixed signals leave XRP and XLM at crossroads

Ripple and Stellar are trading at critical technical levels on Thursday. XRP has stabilized above the psychological $1.00 support, while XLM is testing support at $0.173. Traders should be cautious as mixed derivatives metrics keep the outlook uncertain for both altcoins. Derivatives data shows mixed sentiment among traders. CoinGlass’ long-to-short ratio for XRP reads 1.02 on Thursday.

Fed review: Reversing course (?)

At face value, the FOMC's 9-3 split decision hold was exactly in line with the expectations we laid out in our Fed preview - a divided hold, 22 July. We also named the three dissenters - Hammack, Logan and Kashkari - as the most likely hawks to support rapid tightening.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.