FTSE 100 up almost half a per cent following unemployment figures

The FTSE 100 rose by almost half a per cent on Wednesday following the news unemployment in the UK fell by 33,000 in the final quarter of 2009.

At the close of play the London index stood at 5,664.63 – a rise of 24.20 points or 0.43 per cent.

Leading the gains at the end of the day was Autonomy Corporation which rose 4.55 per cent to 1,1815p.

Fresnillo and Resolution Ld also registered significant gains – up 3.39 per cent and 3.35 per cent respectively.

Security group G4S suffered the biggest drop of the day, slipping 4.94 per cent to 255.9p, despite posting a ten per cent rise in profits.

Standard Life and Man Group also slumped, down 3.88 per cent and 3.66 per cent.