Recession worsens for workless households
By politics.co.uk staff
The number of households with no adults working has jumped at its fastest year-on-year rate since Labour came to power in 1997, new figures show.
The Office of National Statistics said the percentage of households in which no adults worked was up by 1.1 per cent from a year earlier to 16.69 per cent – its highest level since 1999.
Half a million additional people of working age are now living in a household where no one is in employment, according to the recent labour force survey.
The number of children in workless households rose by 170,000 to 1.9 million.
The statistics will come as no surprise given recent unemployment figures, as Britain continues to struggle through the recession.
Worst-hit in terms of the workless household rate was the north-east of England, with 23.2 per cent.
