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Joblessness increased by 43,000 over the three months to February reaching 2.5 million, the highest figure since December 1994.

The unemployment rate is now 8 per cent, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
 
However, the total number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell in March by 32,900 to 1.54 million.

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), says: ‘These figures are disappointing, but not surprising given the worrying trends that have been apparent in recent months. They support the BCC’s forecast that unemployment is set to reach 2.65 million later this year.
 

John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, says the figures indicate serious problems ahead for the next government: ‘Whoever is responsible for economic and employment policy in the next few years will struggle to combine the task of reducing the fiscal deficit with that of returning the UK economy to full employment any time soon.’
 

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