Britain's jobless rate is likely to stay close to its pre-crisis low this year, as employment remains resilient following the Brexit vote, according to a Bank of England policymaker.

Michael Saunders, an external member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee, said recent economic growth had been "stronger than expected", a factor that made it "quite possible" that the unemployment rate would "stay below 5pc this year" and remain close to its current 11-year low of 4.8pc.

However, the former Citi economist said shifts in the labour market since the financial crisis suggested that pay growth was likely to remain "comfortably below" pre-crisis levels of around 4pc for the "next few years".