Jobless rate to climb in richest nations

The jobless rate in the world’s richest nations is expected to climb to 6.9% of the active population next year before declining slightly in 2004, the OECD said today.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said unemployment was expected to reach 6.4% this year, then climb to 6.9% in 2003 - the equivalent of 35.6 million people out of work.