The unemployment rate in Britain has soared to its highest level in nearly four years, with wage growth also taking a hit. Some experts have pointed the finger at Chancellor Rachel Reeves, accusing her of burdening businesses with higher costs and suggesting this could be why employers are holding back on hiring.

As the job market falters, do you think the Chancellor is causing unemployment by raising wages and National Insurance? Have your say in our comments section.

Data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that the unemployment rate leapt to 4.6% in the three months to April, up from 4.5% in the three months to March. This is the highest level since the three months to July 2021. Average pay rose by 5.2% between February and April, down from 5.5% in the previous three-month period, marking the lowest increase since July to September of last year. The figures also showed that public sector workers are receiving larger pay rises than those in the private sector - at 5.6% compared to 5.1%.

However, most workers are still seeing their wages........

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