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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

UK macro events that could impact the pound this week

The pound will be under scrutiny throughout the week, as it could potentially react to a series of important indicators, starting tomorrow with jobs data.

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The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 4% in December. The market will keep an eye on average earnings, with growth expected to accelerate. On Wednesday, Sterling could react to inflation data. Last month, the annual inflation rate unexpectedly rose to 4%. On Thursday, first estimate Q4 GDP data is due – and on Friday, its January retail sales, as IGTV’s Angela Barnes summarises.

(AI Video Summary)

Job data

This week in the United Kingdom, there are a few important things happening that could affect the value of the GBP and the overall economy. Let's break it down. On Tuesday, we'll get some job data. Experts are predicting that the unemployment rate will go up to 4% in December. This is a big deal because it tells us how strong the job market is.

Earnings growth

Another thing to keep an eye on throughout the week is average earnings growth. It's expected that earnings will go up, which is a good sign. This shows us how much people are making and can give us an idea of how the economy is doing.

Inflation data

On Wednesday, there will be data about inflation. Last month, the inflation rate unexpectedly rose to 4%. This matters because it can affect how people feel about the economy and what they expect from the government.Thursday is a big day because we'll find out how the UK economy did in the last quarter of 2021. If there's negative growth, it means the country might be in a technical recession. This would be bad for a lot of businesses and could cause problems for the economy as a whole.

Retail sales

Finally, on Friday, we're going to learn about retail sales in January. This will tell us how people are spending their money and how healthy the retail sector is. Any surprising results could affect how people feel about the economy and might change how they spend their money.

GBP

Overall, all of these events are really important because they could affect the value of the pound and how people feel about the economy. They'll give us a good idea of how things are going and could influence decisions that the government makes in the future.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

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