Unemployment hits 1.82 million

As expected, unemployment for the three months to September has risen above the 1.8 million mark.  The figures just released by the Office for National Statistics put it at 1.82 million – the highest level for 11 years.  The expectation now – as Ken Clarke says – is that it will rise steeply in the New Year, as the recession bites deeper and companies undertake post-Christmas lay-offs.