<p>Britain's unemployment rate rose to 5.0%, its highest since 2016, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to take its toll on the economy, official figures showed on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Separate data, also released by the Office for National Statistics, showed that the number of employees on company payrolls in December was down 2.7% on a year earlier and 828,000 lower than at the start of the pandemic in February.</p>
<p>Britain's unemployment rate rose to 5.0%, its highest since 2016, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to take its toll on the economy, official figures showed on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Separate data, also released by the Office for National Statistics, showed that the number of employees on company payrolls in December was down 2.7% on a year earlier and 828,000 lower than at the start of the pandemic in February.</p>