UK wage growth remains strong amid high inflation; unemployment unexpectedly increases

LONDON (AP) — Official figures in the U.K. show that wages are still rising at record highs, as inflation remains stubbornly high. The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that wages, excluding bonus payments, rose by 7.3% in the three months to May, unchanged over the previous three-month period and matching the highest rate since records began in 2001. Elsewhere, the statistics agency found that the unemployment rate in the U.K. rose to 4%. Economists had anticipated an unchanged reading of 3.8%.