FTSE Moves: London market sees increase on the back of upbeat UK employment levels

The London stock market edged up in trading on Wednesday afternoon (20 July 2016), despite the UK jobless rate for May 2016 falling to its lowest level in over a decade, according to official Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.

The FTSE 100 Index lifted to 15.1 points to 6712.51, as the country's unemployment rate fell from 5% to 4.9% in the three months to May, its lowest level since July 2005. The FTSE 250 Index was up 0.7 points to 17025.1.

Spreadex financial analyst Connor Campbell called unemployment rate "the most eye-catching number" among the jobs data, although traders still cautiously watched UK political developments after the Brexit vote.

In the second tier, telecoms firm TalkTalk, the recipient of a major hack last year, said its customer numbers slipped in its first three months of the year. The company, which also provides online and pay-TV services, said group revenue was 0.4% lower after it lost 9,000 broadband customers in the three months to 30 June. Shares were down 1.5p to 221.2p.

In afternoon trading the biggest risers in the FTSE 100 Index were Sage Group (+17p to 693.5p), Legal & General (+4.7p to 196.1p), St James's Place (+20p to 879p), Admiral Group (+43p to 2088p) and GKN (+5.8p to 286.2p).

The biggest fallers in the FTSE 100 Index were Anglo American (-63.1p to 750.5p), Glencore (-5.9p to 174p), BHP Billiton (-28p to 920.5p), Antofagasta (-12p to 478.2p) and Fresnillo (-39p to 1838p).

In afternoon trading, the biggest risers in the FTSE 250 Index were Electrocomponents (+23.1p to 281.5p), Ibstock (+8.4p to 143p), Workspace Group (+39.5p to 719p), Hill & Smith (+56p to 1043p) and NCC Group (+16.6p to 336.7p).

The biggest fallers in the FTSE 250 Index were Polymetal International (-57p to 1052p), Kaz Minerals (-4.3p to 132.8p), Thomas Cook (-2p to 62p), Evraz (-4.9p to 153.1p) and Man Group (-3.4p to118.9p).