Increase in numbers signing on

The numbers signing on increased from 156,300 in June to 158,900 in July, an increase of 2,600.

This compares with a decrease of 400 in June.

In the year to July 2005, there was an unadjusted decrease of 8,992 (-5.1%). This compares with an unadjusted decrease of 9,652 (-5.7%) in the year to June 2005.

In the month, the estimated number of casual and part-time workers on the Live Register was 7,735 males and 12,193 females.

The largest percentage unadjusted monthly increase was in the Midland region (+7.0%) and the smallest percentage increase was in the South-East region (+4.8%).

The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Unemployment Assistance or Benefit.

Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey and the latest seasonally adjusted figure, for December to February 2005, is 84,700 persons unemployed.