Middle classes hit hard by recession

Middle classes hit hard by recession

30.12.2009

Professional workers have suffered the biggest increases in unemployment during the recession, figures published by the Conservatives disclose*.

Architects, surveyors, vets and solicitors are among those to have seen the biggest percentage increases in unemployment rates since the economic downturn began.

An analysis of official figures detailing unemployment benefit claimants shows that almost every profession has been affected by rising redundancies.

The number of unemployed architects rose from 155 in March 2008 to 1,595 last month, and the number of unemployed vets rose from 15 to 90. Unemployment among surveyors is up almost tenfold, while the number of accountants out of work has risen by 250 per cent.

The figures are likely to hide the full scale of unemployment among the professions because many white-collar workers do not claim benefits, but rely on their savings or payoffs, if made redundant.

*This article was written by the Daily Telegraph. To read it in full, click here.

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