126 workers a day join public payroll... while private employers axe 1,440 jobs



About 1,440 private sector workers lost their jobs every day last year - but the number of state employees rose by 126 a day, official figures revealed yesterday.

The data from the Office for National Statistics shows how those employed at private firms have paid the price of the recession while a record 6.09million now work in the ballooning private sector - equal to more than 20 per cent of the entire workforce.

The unemployment figures paint a mixed picture for the economy.

Given up: More than one in five people of working age are out of work but have stopped trying to find job

The number who are out of work has fallen by 33,000 in the last quarter to 2.45million, the lowest for almost a year and the biggest three-monthly fall for almost three years. The pound rose by more than 0.8 per cent against the dollar to $1.536 on the news.

But Yvette Cooper, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said of the unemployment statistics: 'We're not out of the woods yet.'

U-TURN ON JOBCENTRES

The Government has been forced to reopen four jobcentres that cost more than £1million to close because of the pressure to deal with unemployment, it emerged today.

A Parliamentary question revealed the Government spent £336,000 closing a centre in South Northfield, Birmingham, and £758,000 closing another in Bexleyheath, south east London. Further centres in Bolton and Erdington, Birmingham, also had to be reopened. The LibDems accused Labour of performing a U-turn because of unemployment has 'wreaked havoc' during the recession.

Work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb said: 'Jobseekers need all the help they can get and shouldn't have to travel miles to get it.

'The Government was arrogant and short-sighted to close more than 500 jobcentres at a great cost to taxpayers. It is a shame they didn't realise their mistake sooner.'

The data also revealed how the economic downturn has triggered a series of dire changes for workers and those who have lost their jobs.

They show:



Long-term unemployment is soaring, with a rise of nearly 50 per cent in the number out of work for at least 12 months;



Those over the age of 50 - the most difficult age to get a job - are the most vulnerable, with nearly 398,000 unemployed, the largest number for 15 years;



One in five of working age do not have a job, with the number of 'economically inactive' soaring to 8.1million, the highest since records began in 1971;



More than one million employees - another record - are being forced to work parttime because they cannot get a full-time job;



The employment rate is just 72.2 per cent, the lowest percentage of the working-age population to be in employment since 1996.

REGIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT North East - 9.5%

120,000 unemployed, down 1,000

North West - 8.6%

290,000 up 3,000

Yorkshire/Humber - 8.7%

230,000 down 7,000

East Midlands - 7.5%

173,000 up 1,000

West Midlands - 9.5%

254,000 down 17,000

East - 6.6%

196,000 up 1,000

London - 8.8%

359,000 down 20,000 South East - 6.3%

274,000 down 5,000

South West - 6.2%

164,000 down 12,000

Wales - 9.3%

133,000 up 9,000

Scotland - 7.6%

205,000 up 16,000

Northern Ireland - 6.3%

52,000 down 2,000

In a further blow for private sector workers, it shows public sector employees get paid more money, and enjoyed an average inflation-busting pay rise of 4.1 per cent.

Private sector workers got a pay cut of -0.7 per cent, fuelling an 'employment apartheid'.

Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the jobs market is being 'propped up' by the public sector.

Tory work spokesman, Theresa May, said: 'With fewer people in work and fewer jobs in the economy there is now a real fear of a jobless recovery under Labour.'

A separate note from the Bank of England raised its fears about the chances of people getting another job.

Its research showed most redundancy programmes have been 'largely completed', but bosses are using temporary staff or reinstating 'normal' working hours, rather than recruiting new workers.



Overall, the figures show the number of employed people dropped 54,000 between November and January, compared to the previous quarter, to 28.9million.



The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, known as the claimant count, fell by 32,300 to 1.58million, the sharpest monthly fall since 1997.

Students swell jobless ranks

One in four people of working-age do not have a job - and most are not even looking for one, the ONS figures revealed.

The number of those who are 'economically inactive' has soared to 8.15million, the highest since records began in 1971.

Soaring numbers of students have helped fuel the rise, with the biggest quarterly increase in students ever recorded.

'Economic inactivity' means someone either does not want a job, such as a housewife or somebody who is longterm sick, or wants a job but has not looked for one in the last four weeks.

If the number of unemployed is included, the jobless total rises to 10.6million, 28 per cent of the workingage population.

Between November and January, nearly 100,000 started studying, with many saying they had no choice after failing to get a job. Tory work spokesman, Theresa May, said: 'The record levels of economic inactivity' suggest 'hidden levels of unemployment'.

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Work, said: 'As the country pulls out of recession the more skills and qualifications people have the easier they will find it to get back into work.'









