Growth in unemployment slows

Growth in unemployment has slowed, latest figures show. Under the Labour Force Survey (LFS) count, unemployment rose by 88,000 to 2.47 million in the three months to August. The rise was the lowest since July last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, the increase in numbers pushed the jobless rate up from 7.6% to 7.9% — the highest rate since November 1996.

The number of unemployed men rose by 76,000 to 1.53 million and the unemployment rate was up to 9.0%. Meanwhile, unemployment among women rose by 12,000 to 935,000 and their unemployment rate went up from 6.4% to 6.5%.

The LFS count includes people looking for work but not eligible for benefits.

The number of unemployed young people aged 18 to 24, who have been unemployed for over a year rose by 24,000 to 157,000 in the three months to August and their unemployment rate was up to 21.2% or more than one in five. The TUC has warned that a generation could be left on the scrapheap.

The claimant count, which only includes those receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance, rose by 20,800 to 1.63 million in September — the lowest rise since May 2008.

The unemployment rate was up to 5.0% from 4.9% in August.

Redundancies in the three months to July numbered 233,000 — down 68,000 on the previous three months.