The latest figures do show the smallest quarterly increase in the jobless total since March-May 2008. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The unemployment rate for the quarter stands at 7.9%. The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in November, however, showed the first monthly fall since February 2008. Total claimants decreased by 6,300 on the month to reach 1.63m.
The number of people unemployed for up to six months also fell by 98,000 on the quarter to reach 1.31m. But those unemployed for more than 12 months increased by 49,000 over the quarter to reach 620,000, the highest figure since the three months to November 1997.
Dr John Philpott, Chief Economic Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said “The number of people working full-time is still shrinking at a fairly rapid pace, with the number working part-time because they can't find a full-time job now officially above 1 million. The emergence of 'part-time Britain' is good insofar as it helps keep the lid on headline unemployment but is an underlying sign of the pain still being inflicted on the UK workforce by the recession.”
