Unemployment rises to 2.26 million

Unemployment in the UK has risen to 2.26 million, the highest total for 12 years, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The total, given for the first quarter of 2009, represents an unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent, while the number of people claiming unemployment benefit also rose by 39,000 last month. There are now 29.11 million people in work, a fall of 271,000.