Figures released this morning show UK youth unemployment is at the highest level since 1992 – just one month after the previous record was set.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed there were 1.03 million unemployed 16 to 24 year olds in the three months to October 2011, which is up 54,000 from the three months to July 2011.

The ONS said: “The unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 22 per cent of the economically active population for the age group in the quarter, up 1.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.”

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed 16 to 17 year olds increased by 8,000 on the quarter to reach 211,000 and the number of unemployed 18 to 24 year olds rose by 46,000 on the quarter to reach 815,000.

People in full-time education are included in the youth unemployment estimates, if they have been looking for work within the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks.

However, even excluding people in full-time education, the figure still increased.

ONS said: “There were 730,000 unemployed 16 to 24 year olds in the three months to October 2011, up 21,000 from the three months to July 2011.

“The unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds not in full-time education was 20.7 per cent of the economically active population, up 0.8 percentage points from the three months to July 2011.”

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