UNEMPLOYMENT TRENDS

Unemployment Trends

Unemployment Trends

Key facts

Unemployment is 2.529 million, up 38,000 from last month's published figure, and the unemployment rate is 8.0% (up 0.1 from last month).

The number of unemployed claimants is 1,448,600, down 10,200, and the claimant rate is 4.5% (no change).

Youth unemployment (not including students) is 689,000, down 2,000 on last month's published figure, but up 17,000 in the quarter, 9.4% of the youth population (no change).

Youth unemployment (including students) is 974,000, up 30,000 on the quarter and up 9,000 on last month's published figure.

There are 5.0 unemployed people per vacancy.

The employment rate is 70.5% (no change on last month's published figure but down 0.1% in the preferred quarterly measure).

Chart 1: UK unemployment (ILO)

The latest unemployment figure is 2,529,000, which is a rise of 38,000 from the figure published last month. We estimate, on the basis of later claimant count figures, that unemployment may remain around this level over the next two months, although this remains highly uncertain.

Chart 2: Percentage unemployed not claiming Jobseeker's Allowance

In previous recessions the proportion of the unemployed not claiming benefit has shrunk to around zero. This recession, we started with a historically high proportion of unemployed people not claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).

Chart 3: Youth long-term unemployment (six months and over, 18-24)

Youth long-term unemployment (which can include students) fell by 10,000 from last month's figure and is now 343,000. The claimant count measure, even if one adds in young people on old employment programmes, such as New Deal options and the Community Task Force, remains far behind at 101,900, and is falling.

Chart 4: Adult long-term unemployment (12 months and over, 25+)

Adult long-term unemployment on the survey measure has risen by 22,000 to 620,000. The claimant count measure, including people on programmes, has fallen to an estimated 254,300.

Chart 5: Unemployment rates by age

The 18 to 24 ...