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Jobless rate hits five-year high with young people hit particularly hard
Shields Gazette
|February 23, 2026
Youth unemployment soaring in weakening labour market
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Almost one in six young people are out of work
Unemployment has unexpectedly risen to a near five-year high, with the jobless rate among young people at its worst level for more than a decade, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in the three months to December, up from 5.1% previously. It is the highest since early 2021 and, excluding the pandemic, the highest since autumn 2015.
This story is from the February 23, 2026 edition of Shields Gazette.
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