Unemployment up on both counts


Both the main measures of unemployment have posted increases, Office for National Statistics figures show.


Under the Labour Force Survey count, unemployment was up by 10,000 to 1.66 million in the three-month period ending August compared with the previous period. The rise in numbers was not enough to affect the unemployment rate which remained at 4.9%.


An increase in female unemployment was to blame as male unemployment fell.


The number of unemployed women was up by 23,000 to 765,000 and their unemployment rate rose to 4.9% from 4.8%.The number of jobless men fell by 12,000 to 891,000 and their unemployment rate fell to 5.0% from 5.1%.


The other main unemployment measure, the claimant count, posted a small increase. This count only includes claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance and those on the means-tested Universal Credit. 


In September, numbers increased by 700 to 776,400 from the revised figure for August of 775,700. The joblessness rate remained at 2.3% after the August figure was revised upwards.


Again, women accounted for the increase, their number rising by 700 to 274,200. However, their joblessness rate was unchanged at 1.7%. The number of male claimants remained at 502,200. Their joblessness rate was 2.8%.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/october2016