The unemployment rate remains near record low levels, but wages are falling in real terms, official data showed Tuesday, on the eve of the budget unveiling.

The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7 percent in the three months to the end of January compared to the three months to the end of December, according to a statement from the National Statistics Office.

Wages excluding incentives rose by 6.5 percent, but fell by 3.5 percent when inflation is taken into account.

"Although the inflation rate has declined somewhat, it still exceeds revenue growth, which means that real wages continue to decline," Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics, said on Tuesday.

Britain is still witnessing widespread strikes, as workers protest that their wages do not keep pace with rising consumer prices.

The release of the data came a day before Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is expected to unveil his latest budget, on the impact of a cost-of-living crisis that has sparked strikes across Britain.

Doctors in hospitals began strikes on Monday for a period of three days to protest their wages, at the beginning of a week that will witness other strikes by professors, train employees and civil servants, in a move coinciding with the disclosure of the budget.

The UK's annual inflation rate has eased in recent months but remains above 10 percent, five times higher than the rate set by the Bank of England as a target.

"The job market remains strong, but inflation remains very high," Hunt said in response to Tuesday's data.

"When I announce the budget tomorrow, I will outline how we can move forward to act against inflation, reduce debt and get the economy to grow, including by helping more people get back to work," he added.

UK inflation, although declining, is still close to a four-decade high on the back of soaring energy bills a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.