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- Jo Faragher
Unemployment rose by 7,000 to 2.52 million between November and January, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Although a marginal rise, this was the first increase in unemployment since early last year and breaks a positive run of news on jobs. However, the overall unemployment rate stayed the same at 7.8%, and the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell to 1.54 million, its lowest level since June 2011.
The number of young people aged 16-24 without a job rose to 993,000 over the three months, taking the youth unemployment rate to 21.2%.
Employment Minister Mark Hoban said: “Today’s figures show that, against a difficult economic backdrop, we’re helping people to move off benefits and into work.
“There are still tough challenges ahead which is why we’re working hard to give jobseekers all the help and support they need to realise their aspiration of finding a job.”
Mark Beatson, chief economist at the Chartered Institute of Development, said more effort is needed to get young people into work. “The employment figures for 16-24 year olds remain a matter for concern. Young people appear to be missing out on the jobs growth we have seen, risking the future supply of talent and potentially leaving a permanent scar on the UK labour market,” he said.
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