UK unemployment rises by 30,000

The amount of people unemployed in the UK rose 30,000 in the three months to September, the lowest rise since May 2008, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Unemployment now stands at 2.46m and the number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose by 12,900 to 1.6m in October, the smallest increase in 18 months.

The figures also revealed that the amount of people out of work for more than a year has hit a 12-year high of 618,000 and the percentage of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work now stands at 19.8%, a record high.

“The increase in employment over the last three months highlights the benefits of Britain’s flexible labour market - with firms and workers agreeing measures that have preserved, and even increased, jobs in the economy. There’s no doubt that unemployment will rise further in 2010, but there’s hope that it will peak somewhat below the 3m mark," said David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce.