The number of people claiming jobless allowance in the UK declined more than expected in June, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday.

The claimant count for June was 1.48 million, down 21,200 from May. Economists expected the figure to fall by 8,000. The claimant count rate edged down to 4.4 percent in June from 4.5 percent in May.

The ILO unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in the March to May period. This was in line with forecasts.

Total pay, including bonus, rose 1.7 percent in March-May compared with the same period in 2012. This was faster than the expected 1.4 percent gain. Regular pay rose 1 percent over the same period.