The
number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 9,000 in the three
months to September, leaving total unemployment almost unchanged at 2.45
million.
The
overall unemployment rate was also unchanged at 7.7%, the Office for National
Statistics said.
The
data showed that the claimant count – those out of work and receiving benefits
– also fell slightly in October, by 3,700 to 1.47 million.
Businesses
are reluctant to take on full-time workers due to their concerns over the
longer-term economic outlook”
End Quote Howard Archer chief UK economist,
IHS Global Insight
This
reversed a 5,300 rise in the claimant count the previous month.
The
overall picture remains one of a jobs recovery that is much more sluggish than
after previous recessions, analysts say.
Across
the country the performance was mixed, with the Midlands, the South East, Scotland, Northern
Ireland and the North
West all seeing unemployment rise.
Overall
employment in the UK
economy increased by 167,000 in the three months to September, compared with
the previous quarter, reaching 29.19 million.
This
suggests that while some unemployed people are finding jobs, the total pool of
unemployed workers is being replenished by inactive people who are choosing to
re-enter the workforce by actively looking for work again.
However,
most of the new jobs created were only part-time.
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