Unemployment rises by 7,000
Unemployment increased by 7,000 between November and January to 2.52 million, official figures have revealed. But the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance last month fell by 1,500 to 1.54 million.
Latest ITV News reports
An 'aspirational Budget' - but what about the jobless?
The Chancellor said his budget was for people "who aspire to work hard and get on" - but what about those who can't get a job?
Read the full storyPM: 'Difficult and hard road to turn economy round'
– Prime Minister David CameronIt is a very difficult and hard road that we are travelling to turn this economy round after the huge mess that was made by the Party opposite. But when we look at the fact that, just this morning, we can see an extra 131,000 people in work we are seeing the changes necessary to start the rebuilding of our economy.
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Cable: Govt has 'very good record on job creation'
Business Secretary Vince Cable said the coalition had a "very good record on job creation" and a million new private sector jobs have been created.
Budget day begins 'with sign Osborne has failed'
Budget day begins with a clear sign that George Osborne has failed. Halfway through the Parliament, Britain is still being scarred by rising unemployment and it is our next generation that is paying a brutal price.
Today, youth unemployment has soared back up towards the million mark, overall unemployment is up and unemployment amongst women is up yet again.
– Liam Byrne, Shadow work and pensions secretaryIf the Chancellor needs any more evidence for why he should change course, he should look no further than today's figures which show the massive hit working families are now taking.
Families in Britain have taken a £1,200-a-year pay cut and that's why we need real action to kick-start our flatlining economy and help families on middle and low incomes, not a tax cut for millionaires and more of the same failing policies
Full facts and figures on the UK's labour market
The facts and figures behind today's rise in the jobless total have been pulled together into a video by the Office For National Statistics.
Union: Young bearing the brunt of UK 'jobs crisis'
– Frances O'Grady, TUC general secretaryToday's figures confirm our fears that economic stagnation has finally caught up with the jobs market.
Young people are bearing the brunt of our jobs crisis, with the number of unemployed youngsters up 48,000 and approaching a million again.
The news for those in work is not much better, with the gap between wages and the rising cost of living getting even wider.
We won't see a proper recovery in the jobs market until we get growth back into the economy. That's why the Chancellor must change course and prioritise jobs, growth and living standards in his Budget today.
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Private sector helping UK 'compete in global race'
– Mark Hoban, Employment MinisterIt's a credit to businesses that the private sector is employing one and a quarter million more people than when this Government took office, helping us compete in the global race.
Today's figures show that, against a difficult economic backdrop, we're helping people to move off benefits and into work.
There are still tough challenges ahead which is why we're working hard to give jobseekers all the help and support they need to realise their aspiration of finding a job.
Increase in number of 16 to 24-year-olds unemployed
There were 993,000 jobless 16 to 24-year-olds in the latest quarter to January, up by 48,000 from the three months to October, but the rise among 18 to 24-year-olds was 53,000.
Public sector employment lowest for over a decade
Other figures from the ONS reveal that public sector employment fell for the 13th consecutive quarter, by 20,000 to 5.7 million, the lowest for over a decade.
Employment increases by 131,000
#Unemployment was 2.52m in Nov-Jan, up 7k on Aug-Oct. #Employment was 29.73m, up 131k http://t.co/KlgNsYOslK
From @statisticsONS on Twitter: