The number of people in the UK claiming jobseekers allowance is now higher than at any time since the current Labour government came to power in 1997.
1.64 million people across the country are now claiming unemployment benefits, though total unemployment has actually gone down.
The figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK has turned the corner a far as growth is concerned.
But the concern now is getting people back into work.
Whilst the unemployment rate has remained more or less steady with growth, problems with securing bank loans and now a 3.5% increase in Council Tax announced today means there are still hardships to face.
Locally, Bournemouth saw two months of consecutive decline in the rate at which people were claiming jobseekers allowance, but this month have seen it jump to its highest rate in over a decade.
County wide, the figures show that in Dorset the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit is at its highest since January 1997.
Concerns are now turning to how local authorities plan to finance the increase in people claiming benefits.
Whilst unemployment in Britain has not quite hit the predicted 2.5 million that some economists were predicting last year, the economic situation remains dire for those people in the job market, and offers people like those here at Bournemouth University very little hope.
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1.64 million people across the country are now claiming unemployment benefits, though total unemployment has actually gone down.
The figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK has turned the corner a far as growth is concerned.
But the concern now is getting people back into work.
Whilst the unemployment rate has remained more or less steady with growth, problems with securing bank loans and now a 3.5% increase in Council Tax announced today means there are still hardships to face.
Locally, Bournemouth saw two months of consecutive decline in the rate at which people were claiming jobseekers allowance, but this month have seen it jump to its highest rate in over a decade.
County wide, the figures show that in Dorset the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit is at its highest since January 1997.
Concerns are now turning to how local authorities plan to finance the increase in people claiming benefits.
Whilst unemployment in Britain has not quite hit the predicted 2.5 million that some economists were predicting last year, the economic situation remains dire for those people in the job market, and offers people like those here at Bournemouth University very little hope.
