UK employers add record number of jobs despite Omicron spread

Recruit 184,000 staff to payrolls in December, showing little impact of Omicron

British employers added a record 184,000 staff to their payrolls in December, showing little impact from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, while job vacancies hit a new record high, potentially fuelling the Bank of England's inflation worries.

The broader unemployment rate for the three months to the end of November fell to 4.1%, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday, below economists' forecasts in a Reuters poll for it to hold at 4.2% and its lowest since June 2020. “Today’s figures are proof that the jobs market is thriving, with employee numbers rising to record levels, and redundancy notifications at their lowest levels since 2006 in December,” British finance minister Rishi Sunak said.

Concern about possible labour shortages and pay pressures over the medium term was a major reason why the Bank of England raised interest rates last month for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Abu Dhabi makes boosters must for entry 

Facing a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases fuelled by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, Abu Dhabi is requiring people entering the city to show proof of booster shots.

China blames Canada for omicron case

Chinese media report parcels mailed from Canada may have spread omicron in Beijing. Globally, experts have stressed the virus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets when infected people breathe or speak.

 Australia sees deadliest day of pandemic

Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as 74 deaths were registered by late morning between New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, exceeding 57 from last Thursday, official data showed.