The number of people out of work in the UK has risen to its highest level in 14 years, official figures have shown.
Unemployment increased by 210,000 to 2.47m in the three months to July, taking the jobless rate to 7.9 percent, the Office for National Statistics said.
Claims for unemployment benefit in August grew by 24,400 from July to 1.61m, the highest since May 1997.
And one in five people aged between 16 and 24 is now looking for work, the highest on record, the data showed.
The number of jobless in this age group rose from 928,000 to 947,000 — edging closer to the landmark of one million and adding to fears of a new "lost generation" of young people.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the government was targeting investment to help young people find jobs.
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