Unemployment at 17-year high
The number of people unemployed has hit a 17-year high, rising by 28,000 to 2.67 million between November and January. But quarterly figures reveal that employment in the private sector is growing faster than the public sector is shrinking.
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Unemployment has hit a 17-year high
Unemployment reaches 17-year high
The unemployment rate has increased to a 17-year high after another rise in the jobless total and a huge fall in public sector employment.
Read the full storyThe public sector is shrinking: Will the private sector compensate?
In the final 3 months of last year the number of people employed in the Public Sector fell by 37,000.
So is the Coalition's claim that the private sector will create jobs to soak-up losses in the public sector working?
Our Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports from Newcastle.
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Unemployment has hit a 17-year high
Despite the number of people out of work hitting a 17-year high, could an economic recovery be on the horizon?
Read the full storyHarman and Clegg clash over unemployment
Harriet Harman and Nick Clegg have clashed over the latest unemployment figures - which show those out of work have hit a 17-year high - during Prime Minister's Questions.
Think tank: 'Women hardest hit by unemployment'
The Institute for Public Policy Research says its analysis shows that two thirds of the rise in unemployment over the last quarter has hit women, with 22,400 more women out of work and 5,200 more men.
Unison: '625 people a day have joined the dole queue under the coalition'
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: “It is clear that we are not all in this together. Since the coalition came to power, one public sector job has been lost every 2 minutes and 18 seconds. That’s 625 public sector workers joining the dole queues every single day.
"Cuts are chocking off demand in our economy and hitting the private sector hard. It cannot create enough jobs to offset public sector losses and fuel our recovery. The government urgently needs a credible plan for growth and recovery. "
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Unemployment figures: The good, the bad and the ugly
– Graeme Leach, Chief Economist at the Institute of DirectorsThe latest unemployment statistics are a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly.The good is the 9,000 increase in total employment. The bad is the 50,000 fall in full-time employment and the rise in both measures of unemployment. Without doubt the ugly is the fall in wage growth to 1%, which means real pay is still falling sharply.
Downing Street: 'Long way to go on unemployment figures'
by Alex Forrest - Political CorrespondentThe Prime Minister's spokesman has told ITV News the figures are "encouraging" but said the Government has a long way to go. He added the Government wants to see further signs of growth in economy.
Employment Minister: 'Figures show stabilisation in the labour market'
Employment Minister Chris Grayling says the latest unemployment figures - which have hit a 17-year-high - show a stabilisation in the labour market, but concedes there is a "long way to go", to tackle UK unemployment as a whole.
TUC: 'New part-time jobs not enough'
Responding to the latest unemployment figures, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The rise in employment is encouraging, but the new jobs being created are mainly part-time. These jobs are not paying enough to replace the full-time earnings that people need.
“The sharp fall in pay increases is also worrying as it will prolong the painful squeeze on family incomes throughout the year."
“Tackling the jobs crisis should be at the centre of the Chancellor’s Budget next week. Bold new measures such as a youth jobs guarantee and tax breaks for investment are needed to get our economy growing again,” he added.