Official figures released today by the Office for National Statistics reveal that the unemployment rate has increased by 0.1 per cent over the last three months to 4.8 per cent.
This translates to 27,000 more people unemployed, taking the total jobless figure to 1.44 million.
Though there was a rise in the short term unemployed the number of people unemployed over 12 months has fallen by 18,000 to 290,000, the lowest figure since comparable records began in 1992.
The ONS suggests that the falling trend in unemployment may now have started to "level off".
Today, however, also contains good news for the Government with another fall reported in the numbers claiming unemployment benefit, which is at the lowest level since July 1975.
The Government said that the figures showed that employment is up 181,000 on the year but that "fluctuations" exist from quarter to quarter.
"Despite a mixed picture this month, unemployment has fallen over the year to levels not seen since the mid 1970s and vacancies are high and rising," Jane Kennedy, minister for work, said.
"Since 1997 the number of people in work is up by 1.9 million and all parts of the country have benefited."
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