Unemployment rises above 2.5m milestone
• Jobless total rises to 2.51m • Unemployment rate at 7.9%• Public sector employment falls by 111,000• Claimant count rises by 20,300 in August•Youth unemployment increases to 972,000
The median salary for a full-time worker in the UK rose 1.4% in 2011 to £26,244, against a headline CPI inflation rate of 5% or higher
Progress in closing the gender pay gap has also slowed, with women in full-time employment earning on average £5,409 less than men – the gap narrowed by £179 in 2010 compared with £558 in 2009.