Unemployment rises again

There are now 2.64 million people out of work, the highest number since September 1994.

Unemployment has risen again as a chill wind continues to blow through the UK economy.

In the three months to October 2011, the number of unemployed people increased by 128,000, or 0.4%.

That means the number of unemployed people is now 2.64 million, 8.3% of the economically active population. This is the highest number of unemployed people since September 1994 and the highest unemployment rate since January 1996.

Young people continue to be hard hit, with youth employment rising again, this time by 54,000, meaning 1.03 million of economically active 16- to 24-year-olds are out of work.

But there was an increase in self-employment, with 166,000 more people going it alone. There are now 4.14 million self-employed people officially recorded in the UK, the highest number since comparable records began in 1992.

Public sector employment fell by 67,000 between June and September, with private sector jobs increasing by 5,000.

Regular pay, which excludes bonuses, has risen by 1.8% over the past year, with a miniscule rise of 0.1% on the previous quarter. This is well below the current inflation rate of 4.8%.

More: High executive pay ‘sending us back to Victorian times’ | British misery index hits 19-year high