18 January 2012 Last updated at 06:04 ET

Economy tracker

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Claimant count - December 2011

UK unemployment rose by 118,000 in the three months to November to 2.685 million, the highest level since summer 1994.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the unemployment rate also increased to 8.4%, up from 8.3% in the previous quarter.

The unemployment total for 16-24 year olds rose to 1.043 million in the quarter, taking the unemployment rate in the 16-24 age group to 22.3%, the highest since records began in 1992.

The claimant count, the number of people out of work and claiming benefits, rose by 1,200 to 1.6 million in December, less than economists were expecting after November's claimant count was revised downwards.

Other figures showed the total number of employees rose slightly in the three months to November by 18,000 to 29.12m.

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