The CIPD reports that, despite the Office for National Statistics finding 2.44 million people are unemployed, a substantial rise of 127,000 people classed as ‘economically inactive' - jobless but not actively seeking work - would have taken the numbers above 2.5 million.
According to the CIPD's chief economist John Philpott (pictured), there are more than 2.1 million of these ‘hidden jobless' that want to work, plus almost one million currently working part time because they cannot find full-time positions.
Philpott said: "Reading the latest jobs market data alongside the Bank of England's updated forecast for the UK economy is rather like looking at a British summer weather chart - very few bright spots amid a welter of depressing gloom.
"The situation would be less depressing if we could comfort ourselves with the prospect of a swift return to strong economic growth. But if the Bank of England is correct this is not on the cards. The best our weak jobs market can look forward to in the near term is an anaemic recovery. This might well trigger a further avalanche of redundancies later this year."
The real unemployment figure is above 4.5 million, says the CIPD
A rise in the number of 'hidden jobless' means although headline unemployment has remained below 2.5 million, in reality it is above 4.5 million, the CIPD claims.
