Figures released this week reported that in the 3 months to the end of February, the number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 177,000 to reach 2.1 million – the highest it has been for 12 years. The increase was fuelled by a rise in the number of redundancies, which at 270,000 was the highest figure since comparable records began in 1995.

The group hardest hit by the recession so far are people aged under 25 who account for almost 40% of the total unemployed. The unemployment rate of 15.1% for 18-24 year olds is more than twice that for the population overall.

According to the Office for National Statistics in the three months to February 2009:-

The unemployment rate was 6.7% - up by 0.6% from the previous 3 months and up by 1.5% on the previous year. The number of unemployed people rose by 177,000 from the previous 3 months to 2.1 million – and was up 486,000 on the previous year.

The working age employment rate was down 0.4% on the previous 3 months and down 1.1% on the year.  The total employment level (including those over state pension age) was down 126,000over the previous 3 months and fell over the year by 227,000 to reach 29.27 million.

The number of vacancies fell by 68,000 over the 3 months to March to 462,000 - the lowest figure since 2001 - and were down by 230,000 compared with the previous year. 

The economic inactivity rate for people of working age was 20.7% in 3 months to February – unchanged from the previous 3 months but down 0.1% on the year. The number of economically inactive people of working age was down by 5,000 to 7.85 million and was down by 9,000 over the past year.

In the 3 months to February , 270,000 people were made redundant in the 3 months prior to their Labour Force Survey interview. This was up 45,000 on the previous 3 months and up 162,000 on the year. It was the highest figure since comparable figures began in 1995.

For the first time for 3 years the number of people over state pension age in work fell – down by 8,000 (-0.6%) in the three months to February to 1.33 million but was up by 46,000 (+3.5%) on the previous year.  

The number of people aged 50 to state pension age in paid work also fell – down by 15,000 (-0.2%), though it is still up 2,000 (0%) over the same period last year.

In the three months to February, unemployment amongst those 50 to state pension age went up by 42,000 (+14.7%) and the numbers claiming Jobseekers Allowance in March rose by 11,700 to 225,300 (+5.5%). Over the past year the figure has increased by 87,100 (+122.2%).