44k in approx 6 weeks in a country that was supposed to be on its way out of recession, a Government made up of 2 parties who have revoked their pre-election promises, the poor getting poorer and the rich pocketing bonuses for making the poor poorer...

We need to take a hint from the Egyptian way of doing things.

Riding camels through the streets of london?

TBH Mr Mincepie, the number of people 'economically inactive' (in other words, without paid employment,) is far far higher than the two point something million the gonks at Westminster would have us believe it is.  There's the people on incapacity benefit (about 2 million, possibly more,) the stay at home single mums on benefit, (and mums/wives who aren't on benefits but don't do paid employment,) and of course the NEET generation: (youngsters who are Not in Education, Employment or Training)  As WELL as the people 'on the dole...'

I remember reading somewhere a while back, that the amount of people who are not in employment - who probably 'could' work (but not including pensionsers or children or severely disabled,) is more like 8 million... possibly more... so the actual amount of unemployed people is quite horrendous, but then again, what are people supposed to do if there are no jobs, and most of the few jobs that are there, pay less than benefits would give you.

Makes you proud to be British doesn't it?  No worries though, it'll only take about 10 years to recover from this. 

The figures will get worse as well when the cutbacks to staffing levels in Govt agencies kicks in in April. Successive governments for the last 30 plus years have presided over the destruction of our manufacturing base and we are reaping the rewards.
We are a service economy now which is really just a house of cards.

Very true veggie.  Sad but true.  The state of the country is getting worse by the day.  It makes me wonder how much worse it's going to get and what's going to become of us all.

According to the Guardian, the rise is unexpected.  'Unexpected' by whom?  The Tories use unemployment as a wage restraint.  The Tories want unemployment to be high as it screws down employee demands.

On this morning's news the Government said that latest figures show that unemployment is stabilising. Only someone who is unstable could make a remark like that. #shakycameron

Nearly a million of them are 18-24 year olds...another couple of months and there'll be another lot of school/uni leavers to add to that lot.

They say they want people back into work and if you are on the dole for six months you could lose your money, people have and will be losing their jobs with all these cut backs, what is going to happen to them when their six months of being on the dole is up.. will they stop paying them and if so how are they suppose to live,a lot of the people on the dole will be those people they have put on the dole due to their harsh cuts.