Unemployment in UK crosses critical 2.5 million mark
17 Dec 2010
The axe on public sector jobs in the UK chopped a record 33,000 posts - the highest-ever recorded job loss in the sector in the country.
The 33,000 posts were cut within weeks of the coalition government assuming power in May.
The axe fell on all parts of the state, from the National Health Service (NHS) to the police, with only the armed forces being spared.
Overall, unemployment has risen past the crucial 2.5 million mark, swelling by 35,000 in just three months, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Yesterday, the prime minister expressed concern over the rise, which saw the jobless rate touch 7.9 per cent of the workforce, the highest since the start of the year.
David Cameron told the House of Commons the loss of a job was "a tragedy for that person", adding, "We must do everything we can do help people into a job."