The number of jobless in the UK rose by 38,000 between February and April and the numbers claiming Job Seekers Allowance increased by 9,000 last month to 819,300, according to the Office of National Statistics.

This was the first time in two years that the numbers of job seekers has risen for four consecutive months while unemployment figures are now at their highest since July 2006.

In Yorkshire unemployment rose by 11,000 to 140,000 – 5.4 per cent of the region's working age population. Nationally there was also a dip in the rate of average earnings increase, which fell 0.2 per cent to 3.8 per cent between February and April.

Manufacturing jobs continued to fall, down 33,000 to 2.89 million, a record low.

Despite the increase in unemployment, the number of people in work increased by 76,000 in the three months to March to 29.55 million, a record high. There were 22.04 million people in full-time jobs, up 80,000 from the three months to January, and 7.51 million part-timers, a dip of 4,000.

The number of people in public sector employment dropped by 20,000 between March and December, to 5.76 million, while jobs in private firms rose by 96,000 during the period.

In the three months to April, 110,000 people were made redundant, down 2,000 from the three months to January. Wage growth in private firms was 3.8 per cent in the year to April.

There were 678,600 job vacancies in the UK in the three months to May, up 100.

The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those looking after a sick relative, people who have taken early retirement or who have given up looking for work, fell by 23,000 to 7.86 million, just under 21 per cent of the working age population.

David Kern, economic adviser to the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "The figures convey serious warnings that the economic outlook is worsening."


Unemployment in the regions between February and April:

North East 88,000
Change on quarter: plus 15,000
Unemployment rate: 7.0%

North West 207,000
Change on quarter: plus 7,000
Unemployment rate: 6.1%

Yorkshire/Humber 140,000
Change on quarter: plus 11,000
Unemployment rate: 5.4%

East Midlands 125,000
Change on quarter: plus 1,000
Unemployment rate: 5.4%

West Midlands 171,000
Change on quarter: plus 23,000
Unemployement rate: 6.4%

East 134,000
Change on quarter: plus 5,000
Unemployment rate: 4.5%

London 278,000
Change on quarter: plus 3,000
Unemployment rate: 6.9%

South East 168,000
Change on quarter: minus 23,000
Unemployment rate: 3.8%

South West 107,000
Change on quarter: plus 10,000
Unemployment rate: 4.0%

Wales 76,000
Change on quarter: plus 7,000
Unemployment rate: 5.3%

Scotland 116,000
Change on quarter: minus 17,000
Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Northern Ireland 33,000
Change on quarter: minus 4,000
Unemployment rate: 3.9%