Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that unemployment in the UK has reached its highest level since 1994.
2.53 million people are now out of work, with the latest quarterly figures showing that unemployment rose by 27,000 in the three months up to January 2011.
It seems the younger generation has been hit hard, with unemployment of 16 to 24 year-olds increasing by 30,000 to reach 974,000 - the highest since comparable records began in 1992.