Predicted jobs fall hits

Job cuts across British industry - worsened by the post 11 September crisis - have finally fed through to claimant count unemployment. The number of people out of work and claiming benefit rose by 4,300 in October to 951,100 - an unemployment rate of 3.2%. There were 724,100 men unemployed (a 4.4% rate) and 227,000 women (1.6%).

Under the government's preferred measure - the International Labour Organisation count, which includes jobless people not eligible for benefit - the unemployment rate was 5.1%. This represented a rise of 28,000 in the three months to September to 1,511,000. London and Scotland showed the biggest rises in unemployment, with increases of 18,000 and 16,000.

The worst cuts continued to be in manufacturing, where 123,000 jobs were lost in the three months to September compared to a year ago. The number of manufacturing jobs has now fallen to just over 3.8 million.

John Monks, general secretary of the TUC, said: "The government must bring forward measures to support industry, local communities and sectors most affected."