The UK labor market is set to show continued weakness, with Jobless Claims rising by the most since March 1991. The Claimant Count Rate (the timeliest measure of unemployment) is set to rise to 4.0% in February, the highest in 9 years, while the ILO Unemployment Rate increases to an annual pace of 6.5% in the three months to January, the highest in 12 years. Job losses can be expected to translate into sluggish spending to weigh on economic growth, deepening the current downturn. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund has predicted that this time around the UK will see the worst recession of the G7 nations.