2.38 million unemployed and rising.

A record 281,000 people were added to the growing list of unemployed in the three months to May.15-07-2009

It’s the biggest increase in unemployment in a three month period since records began in 1971. The figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 2.38 million are now out of work - 7.6% of the workforce and the highest since the end of 1995.
Young people between 16 and 24 are particularly badly hit. 726,000 are out of work and that’s the highest figure for 16 years.  
The number of people out of work for more than a year rose by 46,000 to 528,000, the highest for 11 years and that includes about 133,000 young people.
The only glimmer of good news is that the number of people claiming unemployment benefit was less than expected. 220,000 more claimed in the three months to May and 23,800 more claimed in June bringing the total to 1.56 million. But most analysts and forecasters still expect unemployment t6o rise to 3.2 million before it starts going down again. And not only is unemployment rising but the number of job vacancies is falling. There were 429,000 in the three months to June, down by 35,000 from the previous quarter.