Unemployment ROSE by 5,000 at the end of last year in the first annual increase in eight years before coronavirus struck the UK
UK unemployment rose by 5,000 at the end of last year ahead of the catastrophic economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures reveal today.
The increase for the months November to January was the first such increase since 2012, the Office for National Statistics said, spurred by an extra 20,000 men out of work.
But at the same time the number of people in work overall increased by 183,000 to another record high of 32.99 million in the quarter, and wages also continued to grow.
But the figures released today have been largely overshadowed by the dire economic situation facing the UK because of coronavirus.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to set out plans for a new Government protection packages for businesses today after Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday announced that people should stop socialising, work from home, avoid travelling and that whole households should stay in isolation if one person becomes ill.
Last night scientists warned that the shutdown could last for 18 months or more while scientists scramble to find a vaccine capable of stopping the disease.
David Freeman, ONS head of labour market statistics, said: ‘Today’s figures show continuing record employment but also a slight rise in unemployment on the year – for the first time since early summer 2012.
‘This is because we also see a record low rate for people neither working nor looking for work.
‘Meanwhile, vacancies have continued to rise after recent falls, with more now than at any time in the last six months.’
Wage growth also accelerated during the period, increasing to 3.1 per cent growth from 2.9 per cent in December.
For November 2019 to January 2020, an estimated 1.34 million people were unemployed.
This is 5,000 more than a year earlier but 515,000 fewer than five years previously.
The small increase on the year is the first annual increase in unemployment since May to July 2012.
Unemployment is measured by the ONS as ‘people without a job who have been actively seeking work within the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks’.