Unemployment has risen to 2.2m but there could be signs,that the economy is bottoming out.
Over the past year unemployment has increased by nearly 600,000, with the number of people claiming benefits reaching just over 1.5m.
National statistics show there were 455,000 job vacancies in the first quarter this year, which is 233,000 less than the same period last year.
Also there are signs of wage cuts, pay freezes and short time working.
However there are signs that the economy is bottoming out with the increase in jobless numbers now reducing month on month. In March there was an increase of 57,000 people out of work, compared with 74,000 in April. I would say this is a small green shoot in terms of a sign of a recovery.
CBI’s director-general Richard Lambert was more optimistic about the rate of recovery by saying that the UK is well positioned to come out of the recession more quickly than our European counterparts.
With the sterling being so devalued, the export market should pick up and the fact that the UK has a flexible work force means we can react quickly in the market. There was also an air of caution in terms of the amount of public spending going on to stabilise the economy.
In all this there seems to be a view that many are looking at the road to recovery rather than the recession deepening. Hopefully the recovery will be quicker than initially thought, for the jobless especially it is essential they speak to recruitment agencies who have access and an understanding of the job market.


