UK Unemployment Hits Five-Year High, While Other Global Issues Emerge
London, UK - February 18, 2026 - The UK's unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in nearly five years, reaching 5.2% in the three months leading up to December 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This rise, coupled with concerning developments in other parts of the world, including displacement in the West Bank and a surge in disappearances in Mexico, paints a complex picture of global challenges.
The ONS reported that the increase from 5.1% in the three months prior was particularly pronounced among young people aged 16 to 24, where unemployment hit 16.1%, the highest in over a decade. While wages continued to rise faster than prices, the growth rate slowed. Many businesses had also slowed hiring, citing measures in recent budgets.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers reportedly forced 15 Palestinian families to dismantle their homes and leave the northern Jordan Valley, according to Mahdi Daraghmeh, head of the al-Malih Village Council, who spoke to the Wafa news agency. The families began dismantling their homes amid intensifying assaults by settlers.
In Mexico, the number of disappearances surged by 200% over the past decade. More than 130,000 people are considered missing or disappeared, as drug cartels continue to expand their influence, according to The Guardian.
Adding to the news, Royal Mail was given two weeks to respond to allegations that it was prioritizing parcel deliveries over letters, leading to delays across the postal network. The Business and Trade Committee of MPs requested commitments to improve what it described as "chaos," after receiving complaints that parcels were being prioritized while letters were being stored for batch delivery. Royal Mail stated it would respond in detail and understood the frustration of delayed mail.
In the UK, the freeze on tax thresholds, which will remain in place until 2031, could lead to higher taxes for some, despite wages rising faster than prices for the last two-and-a-half years, the longest stretch since the 2008 financial crisis, according to a BBC report.
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