Mixed Unemployment Figures

Posted on: 14.07.2010    18:15:59

Unemployment in London increased by almost 5% between March and May to 382,000, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown.

A total of 364,000 people were out of work in the previous quarter, with the unemployment rate for the region now standing at 9.3%.

All other regions in England, apart from the North East, saw a drop in the number of people out of work.

Across the country unemployment has fallen by 34,000 to 2.47 million in the three months to May and a fifth successive fall in the Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant count, which was down by 20,800 to 1.46 million in June, was also witnessed.

The ONS also said the number of people out of work for more than a year reached a 13-year high of 787,000 after a 61,000 rise in the three months to May.

The number of economically inactive workers – which hit record levels in the quarter to April – edged down by 0.2% to 8.1 million. This is the first fall in this category since March last year.

But those classing themselves as “long-term sick” reached 2.04 million, the highest level since March 2007.

Meanwhile, the part-time workforce reached record levels in the three months to May as people struggled to find permanent jobs in the recession.
The figures showed a 148,000 quarterly rise in part-timers to 7.82 million, the highest level since Office for National Statistics (ONS) records began in 1992.

We expect the numbers to deteriorate further as individual’s disposable income declines in real terms and further belt tightening leads to a reduction in demand.

Author: Chris Slay

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