UK jobless crosses 2 million mark
Updated on 18 March 2009
Figures published this morning show the biggest rise in people claiming jobseekers allowance since records began in 1971.
UK unemployment has risen above 2 million for the first time since Labour came to power 12 years ago, with almost a 140,000 more claimants in February.
The total number of people out of work, including those not eligible for benefit, jumped by 165,000 to 2.03 million in the last three months of 2008, the worst jobless levels since 1997.
The quarterly rise was the highest since 1991, and the total has now increased by 421,000 over the past year, said the Office for National Statistics.
Jobseeker's allowance claimants increased by 138,400 in February, the 13th consecutive monthly rise and the largest monthly increase since records began in 1971.
The new total of 1.39 million is almost 600,000 higher than a year ago and is the highest figure since 1998.
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TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "This is another milestone in the return of mass unemployment to the UK, and it will get worse before it gets better as unemployment always persists even after a recovery starts.
"But this unemployment has not just been made in Britain, and requires an international response. It is beginning to look like the G20 summit may not agree the co-ordinated boost to the world economy called for by Barack Obama and Gordon Brown.
"International summits may seem a long way from the dole queues, but without such a stimulus unemployment will go higher and last longer.
"We need to put every pressure on world leaders to work together to fight the recession."
Jon Snow talks to James Purnell MP, the work and pensions minister.
