Jobless figures see rise of 80,000

The outlook for the UK's economic recovery darkened today as a surge in jobless youths triggered the largest increase in unemployment in nearly two years.

Nationwide, the jobless rate stood at 2.51 million or 7.9 per cent between May and July, the Office for National Statistics said, after the number of unemployed increased by 80,000.

This was the largest quarterly increase in unemployment since the three months to August 2009.

Across the West Midlands, including Staffordshire, another 4,000 were added to the jobless total, 239,000, or 9.1 per cent.

The number of people nationwide claiming Jobseeker's Allowance rose by 20,300 to 1.58 million in August. In South Staffordshire claimants rose by 30 to 1,827, or 2.7 per cent of the working population. In Lichfield it was up by 40 to 1,528 or 2.5 per cent.