U.K. unemployment rose to 2.7% from 2.6% in July, as jobless claims increase by 20,100. It was the sixth straight month of increasing unemployment and the second consecutive above 20,000. The worst housing slump in a quarter century, rising raw material costs and a slowing global economy have eaten away at corporate profits which has forced companies to cut expenses. The BoE is still trying to balance the increasing price pressures against a looming recession, which has kept their monetary policy on hold. – [I]John Rivera, Currency Analyst[/I]