U.K. Average earnings rose a seasonallyadjusted 6.5 pct in the year to end-April, after increasing by
6.7 pct annually in March, the Employment Department said.
    The April index, base 1980, was set at a provisional,
seasonally-adjusted 197.3, up from 194.8 in March.
    But the underlying rise was 7.75 pct, up 0.25 pct from
March and back to the same level seen late last year.
    The underlying rise is adjusted for factors such as
back-pay and timing variations.
    Unit wage costs in U.K. Manufacturing industry rose one pct
in the year to April, after an upward revised rise of 0.7 pct
in the period to March, the Department of Employment added.
    In the three months to end-April, such costs were 0.9 pct
higher, year-on-year, compared with a rise of 1.2 pct in the
three months to March.
    Manufacturing productivity in April was 6.1 pct higher than
a year ago after a downward revised 6.8 pct increase in March.
In the last three months period manufacturing productivity was
up 6.7 pct, having increased 6.5 pct in the first quarter.
 REUTER
