Unemployment in the UK has risen to 2.261 million, it was revealed – the highest number since November 2006.
This equates to 7.2% of the UK workforce out of work. Young people have been hit hardest by the recession, with unemployment among 18-24 more than double the national averages, at 16.6%.
As more people find themselves out of work, more will require debt advice, as it becomes harder to make ends meet.
However, there was more good news for those in work. According to the Office of National Statistics, average earnings rose by 0.8%. Although it has to be taken into account that these figures include bonuses paid out in the financial services sector.
The number of job vancancies has also fallen recently, from 659,000 in May 2008 to 424,000 in May 2009.
