PM accused of failing young jobless

Wed Nov 11 2009 16:23:58

Gordon Brown has been accused of not doing enough to tackle youth unemployment.

It follows heated exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions.

The latest Commons session had to be paused a few times as noise from backbench MPs swelled with Speaker John Bercow warning them to calm down.

Tory leader David Cameron said the Government was not helping young people get back into work.

While the Prime Minister retorted that there were more people in work than in 1997 and the Conservatives' plans would do nothing to reduce unemployment.

The youth jobless rate has reached a record high of almost 20 per cent as the overall total also rose, although at a slower pace to 2.46 million.

Other figures showed that the number on jobseeker's allowance rose by 12,900 in October to 1.64 million, the 20th consecutive monthly increase, giving the worst total for 12 years.

The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those on long-term sick leave, looking after a relative or who have given up looking for work, reached a record high of eight million after a 41,000 increase over the latest quarter.

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