Increase in UK unemployment total

17 August 2011 Last updated at 05:06 ET

The claimant count has risen for three months in succession

The number of unemployed people in the UK rose by 38,000 to 2.49 million in the three months to June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

The unemployment total is now at its highest level since February 2010, and the jobless rate has risen to 7.9%.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 37,100 in July to 1.56 million, its biggest increase since May 2009.

The claimant count has now risen for three months in a row.

The increase in unemployment came as a surprise to economists, as most had predicted a further fall in the number of people without work.

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