Long-term unemployment highest since 1997
February 17, 2010 by admin
Filed under Career News and Advice
The number of long-term unemployed claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance jumped by
23,500 last month to reach the highest level since Labour came to power in
1997, new figures show.
Published: 9:37AM GMT 17 Feb 2010
The claimant count increased to 1.64 million in January, the worst figure
since April 1997.
Long-term unemployment, covering those out of work for more than a year,
increased by 37,000 in the quarter to December to 663,000, also the highest
figure since 1997.
The number of people classed as economically inactive reached a record high of
8.08 million, more than 21 per cent of the working age population.
The figure covers students, people looking after a sick relative, or those who
have given up looking for work, with records dating back to 1971.
Unemployment in the latest quarter fell by 3,000 to 2.46 million, giving a
jobless rate of 7.8 per cent, unchanged …
Read the original article at Telegraph