The UK jobs market has weakened further as the number of job vacancies continues to fall and wage growth slows, according to official statistics.
The annual rate of pay growth in the three months between March and May was 5%, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
Meanwhile, the number of vacancies has fallen again to 727,000, marking three continuous years of falling job openings.
The ONS said survey data suggested that some firms may not be recruiting new workers or replacing ones who have left.
The number of job vacancies is now at its lowest in 10 years, excluding the plunge seen during the pandemic when lockdowns stopped firms from hiring.
Alongside falling job openings, the unemployment rate has risen to 4.7%, the highest for four years, although the ONS has said this data needs to be treated with caution due to problems with how it is collected.
The labour market data is one of things the Bank of England will look at next month when it decides whether or not to cut interest rates.
It may choose to cut rates to boost the labour market or raise them to reduce inflation by encouraging less spending. Most economists are predicting a cut.
Earlier this week, in an interview with the Times, the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey indicated there could be larger cuts to interest rates if the jobs market showed signs of slowing down.