Britain's real jobless total 'more than 3m' says new report

Rapidly rising unemployment in Britain's industrial heartlands has sent the real level of joblessness surging to well over 3m during the recession, according to a report to be published this week.

Urging a package of help for dole queue blackspots, the study shows that widespread lay-offs in the manufacturing sector have widened the north-south divide in the labour market.

Professor Steve Fothergill, author of the report for the Industrial Communities Alliance, said the real level of unemployment was close to 3.4m, more than double the 1.6m claimant count total once those ineligible for benefits and the hidden unemployed on incapacity benefits were taken into account. (more)