Unemployment in the UK is creeping towards two million mark, the highest in nearly a decade, with the number of jobless in the quarter ending November last soaring by 1,31,000.
A whopping 1.92 million people were jobless at the end of the period, the highest since September 1997, according to official figures. Experts believe, it might touch three million before the recession ends.
The number of people made redundant surged by 78,000 to 225,000 in the quarter to November, its highest since comparable records began in 1995.
The dampening figure comes even as Sainbury's, the departmental store warned it could slash 200 jobs under restructuring plans, TT electronics hinted it may slash 700 posts, Wireless equipment manufacturer LM Ericsson said it is shedding 5,000 worldwide and Conveyancing firm Hammonds Support Systems, based in Bradford, is cutting 200 jobs.
Employment Minister Tony McNulty said there was still work to be found and that thousands of people were coming off the dole.
The UK's unemployment rate is now higher than that of Slovenia, Romania, Malta, Holland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Austria or Cyprus.
Last month alone, the number claiming jobseekers' allowance rose by 77,900 to 1.16 million - the worst figure since 2000.
