Month on month, the PPI input price measure of UK manufacturers’ materials and fuels, rose 0.3% between February and March 2015, up from a rise of 0.1% between January and February 2015. Analysts were predicting 0.5% decrease. Input price annual inflation fell 13.0% in the year to March 2015, compared with a fall of 13.5% in the year to February 2015.
Friday's session brought UK job figures. According to the latest release number of unemployed in Great Britain was down 20,700 from February 2015 and down 369,400 from a year earlier, but below market predictions on decrease by 29,100. It was also 6,000 lower than the pre-downturn trough of 778,400 for February 2008.
Unemployment rate for those aged 16 and over for the 3 months ending February 2015 was 5.6%, in line with market forecasts. This was down from 5.8% for September to November 2014 and down from 6.9% for a year earlier but higher than the pre-downturn trough of 5.2% for late 2007/early 2008. Total pay for employees in Great Britain increased by 1.7%, missing market expectations on increase by 1.8%, and lower than the growth rate between the three months to January 2014 and the three months to January 2015 (1.9%).
This week markets will be looking at:
MPC Official Bank Rate Votes/MPC Asset Purchase Facility Votes (Wednesday 10:30)
Retail Sales (Thursday 10:30)
Public Sector Net Borrowing (Thursday 10:30)
