British jobless rate holds at 7.8 percent

LONDON, March 20 (UPI) -- The unemployment rate in Britain held steady at 7.8 percent in November 2012 through January, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday.

The unemployment rate was unchanged from the August to October period, although the number of unemployed rose by 7,000 from the three-month stretch of August to October.

Total pay and regular pay rose 1.2 percent in November through January compared to the same period a year earlier, ONS said.

"However, as inflation measured by the Consumer Prices Index was 2.7 percent between January 2012 and January 2013, there continues to be a cut in the real value of pay," the monthly report said.