Pay growth slowed at the end of last year with regular wages in the last quarter rising by 6.2pc on the year - the weakest since October 2022.

It raises hopes the Bank of England may soon be able to declare it has done its job battling inflationary pressures with high interest rates, letting it cut the cost of borrowing.

At the same time the number of job vacancies on offer fell again to 932,000, the Office for National Statistics found, the lowest number since June 2021.

However, there are still signs the jobs market is tight. Unemployment fell to 3.8pc, the lowest number in more than a year.

Read the latest updates below.