The data showed the number of people out of a job rose to 2.911 million in September from 2.902 million in August. The consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of 32 economists was for unemployment to rise by 10,000.

 The unemployment rate held steady at 6.8 percent.

"Weaker economic developments are impacting the labour market," said Labour Office head Frank-Juergen Weise. "Nonetheless, the labour market is proving to be generally robust."