British unemployment up 137,000 at 1.86 million
British unemployment up 137,000 at 1.86 million
London: The number of jobless in Britain rose further toward the 2 million mark in the three months to October as the economy slows, official figures showed Wednesday.
The Office for National Statistics said the number of unemployed increased by 137,000 in the three months to August to a nine-year high of 1.86 million. The rise took the unemployment rate up to 6.0% from 5.8% the previous month.
The statistics office said that the number of people claiming the jobseekers allowance - the main benefit available to the newly unemployed - rose by 75,000 in November from the previous month to 1.07 million, its highest level since July 2000. The increase was the biggest since March 1991 when the British economy was last mired in a deep recession.
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