The recession has claimed another 220,000 jobs in the three months to June to take the total number of unemployed to 2.43 million, official figures have revealed.
Unemployment in the UK is now at its highest level since the summer of 1995.
The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance increased by 24,900 in July to 1.58 million - its worst level for more than 12 years.
This marks the 17th month in a row where the so-called claimant count has increased in the UK.
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