FTSE 100 hit record closing high; US inflation slows slightly to 6.4% – as it happened
Blue-chip share index has hit 7996 points for first time, but drops back as US consumer prices index is higher than expected in January
Almost a million working days were lost to strikes in December as real-terms pay growth last year dropped at among the fastest rates for more than 20 years, my colleague Richard Partington reports.
The figures from the Office for National Statistics add to the squeeze on households amid the cost of living crisis.
It's encouraging to see that more people are moving into work, as we know that being in employment is the best way to deliver financial security, skills and confidence.
We've also made huge progress for everyone looking to boost their earnings or land a new role, with the employment rate increasing and more people joining payrolls.
Britain has huge potential - but 13 years of the Tories has left real wages down, families worse off, and our economy lagging behind on the global stage.
The government needs to stop sitting back and following this path of managed decline.
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