Youth unemployment hits record high in the UK
11/11/2009 - 09:45:39The youth unemployment rate reached a record high of almost 20% today as the jobless total continued to increase, although at a slower pace.
The number of people out of work increased by 30,000 between July and September to just under two and a half million.
Other figures showed that the number on jobseeker’s allowance rose by 12,900 in October to 1.64 million, the 20th consecutive monthly increase, giving the worst total for 12 years.
The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those on long-term sick leave, looking after a relative or who have given up looking for work, reached a record high of eight million after a 41,000 increase over the latest quarter.
The inactivity rate is now over 21% of the working age population and the total is the highest since records began in 1971.
Youth unemployment also continued to rise, with the number of 16 to 24-year-olds up by 15,000 to 943,000, giving a rate of 19.8%, a record high.
The number of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work rose by 24,000 over the three months to 746,000, a rate of 18%, the highest since 1992.
There was a small increase of 6,000 in the number of people in work to almost 29 million, the first quarterly rise since the summer of last year.
Full-time employment fell by 80,000 to 21 million, while part-time employment increased by 86,000 to a record high of 7.6 million.
The quarterly rise in unemployment was the smallest since spring last year.
Other data from the Office for National Statistics showed that job vacancies fell by 1,000 to 428,000 in the latest quarter, the lowest level since records began in 2001.
The number of people out of work for longer than a year increased by 71,000 in the three months to September to reach 618,000, the highest figure for 12 years.
But there was a 99,000 fall in the number of people out of work for longer than six months.
The 12,900 increase in the claimant count in October was the smallest monthly rise since April last year.
Average earnings increased by 1.2% in the year to September, down by 0.4% on the previous month.
Excluding bonuses, earnings growth fell by 0.1% to 1.8%, the lowest since records began in 2001.
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