Unemployment reaches 14-year-high

The jobless rate currently stands at 7.9%, a 0.7% increase over the previous quarter and 2.3% rise over the year. It has not been higher since the three months to November 1996. Numbers claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in August grew by 24,400 from July to 1.61 million; the highest since May 1997. Average earnings, excluding bonuses, also grew at the lowest rate since records began in 2001, rising by 2.2% in the three months to July 2009 compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, average earnings including bonuses rose by only 1.7% over the period. There had been concerns jobless fig...