Unemployment rises to 2.56 million

The unemployment rate was 7.9% of the economically active population, up 0.2 percentage points from September to November 2012 but down 0.3 from a year earlier. There were 2.56 million unemployed people, up 70,000 from September to November 2012. There were 8.95 million economically inactive people aged from 16 to 64, down 57,000 from September to November 2012 and down 285,000 from a year earlier. The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 was 71.4%, virtually unchanged from September to November 2012 but up 0.9 percentage points from a year earlier. April 19, 2013