JOBLESS RATE RISING WITH LABOUR 'SILENT KILLER'

LABOUR was branded the “silent killer of aspiration” as the jobless rate hit 5.2%.

- BY STEPH SPYRO AND KATIE HARRIS

One Tory claimed “millions are crying out for the reward of hard work” as unemployment soared to a near five-year high of 1.88 million in the last three months of 2025.

It is the highest figure since January 2021, when 1.9 million — 5.3% of the workforce — were without a job during the pandemic.

The jobless rate had stood at 4.1%, or more than 1.4 million, when Labour took office in 2024 and promised economic growth.