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1 in 4 working-age Britons has no job as slump sends number of part-time staff soaring
By Becky Barrow
Last updated at 1:25 AM on 13th May 2010
Unemployment is at its highest level since 1994 and is due to keep rising, figures revealed yesterday.
One in four people of working age does not have a job - and record numbers are being forced to work part-time because nothing else is available.
In the past year the number of unemployed has increased by nearly 280,000 to 2.51million.
The Office for National Statistics figures also show there are 1.07million part-time workers, a record level and a consequence of the shortage of full-time work.
And economists warned unemployment will continue to soar with predictions that up to 750,000 public sector workers could be axed.
But the unemployment figure does not include a whole swathe of the population who are out of work.
UNEMPLOYMENT BY REGION BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH
The ONS also records 'economic inactivity' - those who either do not want to work, such as housewives or the long-term sick, or those have not looked for a job in the past four weeks.
This number of economically inactive people has soared to 8.16million, the highest number since records began in 1971.
If this is added to the unemployment figure, the jobless total rises to 10.6million - 28 per cent, or more than one in four, of the working-age population.
Around 900 people become economically inactive every day, with the number of students shut out of the job market hitting close to record levels of 2.3million.
And the rise is not being fuelled by mothers with young families deciding that they need to stay at home to care for their children.
In fact, the number of housewives has fallen over the last year, down 3,000, with many forced to work to pay the bills, particularly if their husband or partner lost their job during the recession.
Brian Johnson, an insolvency expert from the accountants HW Fisher, said: 'It may be a new dawn for politics, but for jobs and the economy it is still the dark night.
'If it were not bad enough already, we can expect significant public sector job losses, as the new Government sets about cutting spending immediately in order to reduce the deficit.'
Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: 'The dire figures send out a clear SOS message on the state of the UK labour market.'
The Confederation of British Industry warned yesterday that the figures highlight the fragility of Britain's recovery from the recession.
In a bleak warning to jobseekers, John Cridland, the business lobby group's deputy director-general, said: 'We expect tough labour market conditions to continue for some time.'
It is young people who are suffering more than the old, according to the latest quarterly figures, which compare January to March with the previous three months.
Employment levels among people over the age of 50 jumped - but fell for all younger age groups.
One in five people aged 16 to 24 is unemployed. Two years ago, 684,000 of this age were unemployed. Today, there are 941,000.
One of the few pieces of good news is that the claimant count - those who are receiving Jobseeker's Allowance - continues to fall, down 27,100 in April to 1.5million.
It has fallen a total of 100,000 since January, which is equal to a saving of around £500million on State handouts.
By Becky Barrow
Last updated at 1:25 AM on 13th May 2010
Unemployment is at its highest level since 1994 and is due to keep rising, figures revealed yesterday.
One in four people of working age does not have a job - and record numbers are being forced to work part-time because nothing else is available.
In the past year the number of unemployed has increased by nearly 280,000 to 2.51million.
The Office for National Statistics figures also show there are 1.07million part-time workers, a record level and a consequence of the shortage of full-time work.
And economists warned unemployment will continue to soar with predictions that up to 750,000 public sector workers could be axed.
But the unemployment figure does not include a whole swathe of the population who are out of work.
UNEMPLOYMENT BY REGION BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH
- North-East - 121,000 (9.6%)
- North-West - 297,000 (8.7%)
- Yorkshire/Humber - 258,000 (9.7%)
- East Midlands - 166,000 (7.3%)
- West Midlands - 249,000 (9.3%)
- East - 194,000 (6.6%)
- London - 372,000 (9.1%)
- South-East - 283,000 (6.4%)
- South-West - 166,000 (6.3%)
- Wales - 133,000 (9.3%)
- Scotland - 216,000 (8.1%)
- Northern Ireland - 55,000 (6.7%)
The ONS also records 'economic inactivity' - those who either do not want to work, such as housewives or the long-term sick, or those have not looked for a job in the past four weeks.
This number of economically inactive people has soared to 8.16million, the highest number since records began in 1971.
If this is added to the unemployment figure, the jobless total rises to 10.6million - 28 per cent, or more than one in four, of the working-age population.
Around 900 people become economically inactive every day, with the number of students shut out of the job market hitting close to record levels of 2.3million.
And the rise is not being fuelled by mothers with young families deciding that they need to stay at home to care for their children.
In fact, the number of housewives has fallen over the last year, down 3,000, with many forced to work to pay the bills, particularly if their husband or partner lost their job during the recession.
Brian Johnson, an insolvency expert from the accountants HW Fisher, said: 'It may be a new dawn for politics, but for jobs and the economy it is still the dark night.
'If it were not bad enough already, we can expect significant public sector job losses, as the new Government sets about cutting spending immediately in order to reduce the deficit.'
Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: 'The dire figures send out a clear SOS message on the state of the UK labour market.'
The Confederation of British Industry warned yesterday that the figures highlight the fragility of Britain's recovery from the recession.
In a bleak warning to jobseekers, John Cridland, the business lobby group's deputy director-general, said: 'We expect tough labour market conditions to continue for some time.'
It is young people who are suffering more than the old, according to the latest quarterly figures, which compare January to March with the previous three months.
Employment levels among people over the age of 50 jumped - but fell for all younger age groups.
One in five people aged 16 to 24 is unemployed. Two years ago, 684,000 of this age were unemployed. Today, there are 941,000.
One of the few pieces of good news is that the claimant count - those who are receiving Jobseeker's Allowance - continues to fall, down 27,100 in April to 1.5million.
It has fallen a total of 100,000 since January, which is equal to a saving of around £500million on State handouts.
