LONDON, Oct 15 - The number of Britons out of work and claiming benefits fell again last month to its lowest level since September 1975, official figures showed on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said that the claimant count measure of unemployment fell by 1,900. The decline was less than the 5,000 expected by analysts but took the number of claimants down to 929,800, its lowest level in 28 years. The rate remained unchanged at 3.1 percent The internationally comparable ILO measure of joblessness, however, rose 5,000 in the three months to August, the first increase since the February to April quarter. The ILO jobless rate remained unchanged at 5.0 percent The Labour Force Survey's measure of total employment fell for the first time in a year, declining by 9,000 to 27.9 million. The ONS, however, said the fall was probably not statistically noteworthy.
Meanwhile, average earnings growth rose to an annual rate of 3.4 percent in the three months to August from 3.3 percent in the three months to July. This was due to a sharp pick-up in earnings growth in the public sector to 5.6 percent from 5.1 percent, its highest level since October 2001. The ONS said that the increase in pay growth in government jobs was partly due to a base effect and late settlements for nurses and firefighters. Still, overall earnings growth remains subdued and well below the Bank of England's 4.5 percent comfort zone.//