The number of unemployed people in the UK has risen to 2.47 million.

According to the latest figures, the number of jobless people in the UK has risen to 2.47 million in the three months to July, taking the rate of unemployment to 7.9%.

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that during the last quarter, 210,000 people nationwide fell into unemployment. The level of unemployment is at its highest level since May 1995.

The number of people in employment at the end of the July 2009 was 28.89 million, a drop of 600,000 over the year.

Most sectors showed a fall in the number of positions with the largest drops occurring in the business, finance and construction industries.

At 7.9%, the unemployment rate has not been greater since November 1996 and is 2.3% higher than last year.

Claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance have also risen significantly in recent months with the number of claimants reaching 1.61 million in August 2009.

The number of job vacancies in the UK has also fallen to 434,000 in the three months to August, down 12,000 over the previous quarter and down 174,000 over the year.

Despite the consistent drops in unemployment, average earnings increased by 1.7% in the three months to July. The increase is however smaller than the previous month.