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mpc: 18 The Labour Force Survey (LFS) measure of the unemployment rate increased to 5.0% in the three months to November, the highest since 2003. That rise in unemployment reflected both an unexpectedly weak employment rate, and an unexpectedly high participation rate. The slackening in the employment rate might have reflected the beginning of an unwind in the labour hoarding that had been a possible explanation for the low productivity growth recorded recently. If that were the explanation, it was possible that employment growth could remain subdued for at least another quarter or two. Against that, there were some signs from business surveys that this slowing would prove temporary. The Bank's regional Agents had reported that companies, on average, were planning to increase employment, particularly in business services.