The Spectre of High Unemployment and the Tory "Con-Dem" Coalition !

UK unemployment increases
12th May 2010

The number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million during the three months to March, official figures have shown.

The unemployment total is now at its highest level since December 1994.

However, the total number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell in April by 27,100 to 1.52 million - a sharper fall than expected.

The rate of unemployment remained at 8%, the Office for National Statistics said.

There was also a rise in the number of people classed as economically inactive - those out of work and not seeking work. They rose by almost 100,000 to a record total of just under 8.2 million.

The ONS figures showed youth unemployment rising, with 941,000 16 to 24-year-olds out of work in the January to March period - a rise of 18,000 on the previous three months. The number of over-50s out of work for more than a year climbed 12,000 on the quarter to 146,000.

And 1,066,000 people said they were working part-time because they could not find a full-time job - up by 25,000.

Those who had predicted that the worst of unemployment was over were wrong, with the new Conservative / Liberal Democrat government, I predict unemployment to soar within the next year. The previous thatcherite tory government said "unemployment is a price worth paying", it's clear the Conservative / Lib Dems will adopt the phrase "unemployment is a price worth paying" I fear UK inflation will soar as a result.

If it were not bad enough already, it is inevitable that public sector jobs will be lost as the new government sets about cutting spending immediately in order to reduce the deficit.

With private sector collapses and public sector cuts, it is obvious that unemployment will continue to rise during the remainder of 2010 and well into 2011/12.

* Yorks/Humber: Up 18,000 to 258,000
* Wales: Up 11,000 to 133,000
* Scotland: Up 10,000 to 216,000
* North West: Up 8,000 to 297,000
* South East: Up 7,000 to 283,000
* Northern Ireland: Up 6,000 to 55,000
* North East: Up 4,000 to 121,000
* East: Up 1,000 to 194,000
* East Midlands: Down 1,000 to 166,000
* London: Down 2,000 to 372,000
* West Midlands: Down 4,000 to 249,000
* South West: Down 6,000 to 166,000