Official ONS figures released today reveal that the number of unemployed people in the UK increased in the last quarter of 2011. In the three months prior to January 28,000 recently became unemployed with the figure now reaching 2.67 million. Women have been disproportionately affected making up 22,000 of the 28,000 recently unemployed.
The number of people entering part-time employment also increased by 59,000 to 6.6 million the highest level since records began. This increase demonstrates the difficulties that people are having trying to eneter full time employment.
Despite this, these increases in unemployment have been the lowest in a year, employment Minster Chris Grayling stated that the figures were “encouraging” and showed that the Labour market was “stabilising”.
