The rate of UK unemployment fell to 4.9% in the three months to February, down from 5.2% in the three months to January, the Office for National Statistics said. Average wages grew by 3.6% over the same period, down from 3.8% in January and the lowest since November 2020, the ONS said. Pay included bonuses rose by 3.8%. Both figures were better than expected. The figures cover the period before the full impact of the economic shock caused by the Middle East war . Experts have warned that the