Anger at record youth jobless level
Updated on 11 November 2009
Gordon Brown has defended his Government's record on jobs after new figures showed youth unemployment had reached a record high of almost 20%.
Opposition parties described the figure as a national disgrace and accused Labour of writing off a generation of young people.
Ministers hit back by confirming plans to create 35,000 jobs for young people and arguing that a slower than expected rise in the jobless total showed the Government's action on the economy was making a "real difference".
New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a 30,000 increase in the number of people out of work between July and September to just under two and a half million, the smallest quarterly rise since spring last year.
The number on jobseeker's allowance rose by 12,900 in October to 1.64 million, the 20th consecutive monthly increase, giving the worst total for 12 years.
The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those on long-term sick leave, looking after a relative or who have given up looking for work, reached a record high of eight million after a 41,000 increase over the latest quarter. The inactivity rate is now more than 21% of the working age population and the total is the highest since records began in 1971.
The number of jobless 16 to 24-year-olds was up by 15,000 to 943,000, giving a rate of 19.8%, a record high, while the total for 18 to 24-year-olds rose by 24,000 over the three months to 746,000, a rate of 18%, the highest since 1992.
There was a small increase of 6,000 in the number of people in work to almost 29 million, the first quarterly rise since the summer of last year, but job vacancies fell by 1,000 to 428,000 in the latest quarter, the lowest level since records began in 2001. The number of people out of work for longer than a year increased by 71,000 in the three months to September to reach 618,000, the highest figure for 12 years.
Mr Brown clashed with Tory leader David Cameron in the Commons after he was accused of failing in his promise to abolish youth unemployment. The Prime Minister countered that there were more people in work than in 1997, adding that the Tories' plans would do "nothing" to reduce unemployment.
Ministers said most of the increase in 16 to 24-year-old unemployment was accounted for by a 14,000 rise in the number of full-time students who say they are looking for work.
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