The data focus from the UK on Wednesday 24 January 2018 is all about employment

  • All due at 0930 GMT

Some previews, these via:

Barclays:

  • We expect the unemployment rate to remain largely unchanged, reflecting increasing claimant counts and a marginally growing workforce.
  • Meanwhile, we expect wages to grow at the same pace as the previous month (2.5%y/y for headline and 2.3% for core AWE).

HSBC:

  • Pay growth picked up a little in the three months to October, and we expect it to maintain its pace in the three months to November - albeit remaining some way below inflation.
  • Unemployment was unchanged at 4.3%, its lowest since 1975 and the level at which it has stood since July 2017.
  • That said, there were some early signs of job trends starting to turn, with employment down by 56k over the three months to October, and the claimant count rising for the third consecutive month in November. This, therefore may be the focus of the November release.

Weakness in the data should weigh on GBP and any surprising strength should support. notwithstanding big wigs gobbing off on Brexit, of course.