Number of Brits without jobs due to long-term sickness hits record high
THE number of Brits without jobs due to long-term sickness has hit a record 2.5million.
An extra 400,000 have quit the workforce since the pandemic citing ill health - blowing a huge staffing hole.
Many are believed to have left with muscle pains and mental health problems after working from home.
The ONS said the unemployment rate hit 4.2 per cent during the last quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous three-month period as more people look for work.
Ministers are desperately trying to slash the amount of economically inactive people to plug 1.02million vacancies, which bosses are having to fill with immigrants.
ONS stats boss Darren Morgan said: “The drop in those neither working nor looking for work is mainly among those looking after their family or home.”
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The government also hopes new childcare support due to kick in will further drive more parents into jobs.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "Thanks to the action we've taken in the jobs market, it's great to see a record number of employees.
"Our ambitious reforms will make work pay and help even more people into work - including by expanding free childcare next year - helping to deliver on our priority to grow the economy."