The number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose again in November, reaching 959,100 - an increase of 4,800.

The number of people out of work in the UK rose by another 164,000 between June and August, to 1.79 million, according to government figures. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose again in November, reaching 959,100 - an increase of 4,800.

The news marks the first time since 1992 that claimant count unemployment has increased for two successive months. The rise - the biggest since 1991 - took the official unemployment rate up from 5.5% to 5.7%.

The International Labour Organisation figure, which also includes people not eligible for benefit, rose by 29,000 between August and October to 1,520,000.

The Office of National Statistics' figures also showed another big drop in manufacturing jobs, down to a record low of 3,792,000. Jobseeker's allowance claimants rose by 31,800 to 939,900 in September said the Office for National Statistics.

Average earnings increased by 4.4% in the year to October, up by 0.1% compared with the previous month. The government is to make an extra £100m available to re-train workers who lose their jobs as the economy slows.

But the economic problems that followed—falling prices for houses, tightening credit and the gyrations of the stock market—vindicated their decision. Amid consumer anxiety, the Unemployment figures is another pointer to the already dark clouds upon us.