Men bear brunt of jobs bloodbath as number out of work tops one million for first time in a decade

Unemployment among men has topped one million for the first time in a decade as they bear the brunt of a decline in sectors such as manufacturing and construction.

Official figures showed the jobless rate among men climbed to 5.4 per cent in the three months to September, up from 4.2 per cent when Labour came to power last summer.

Among women the rate was 4.5 per cent and the number of them classed as unemployed was just under 800,000.

The number of jobless men has risen by 243,000, or 32 per cent since the election. It has not topped one million since 2015.

And the increase was even more pronounced among those in the 25-49 age group, where unemployment climbed by 60 per cent over the same period.

It comes at a time when traditionally male-dominated sectors of the economy have come under pressure.

Unemployment among men has reached the highest level for a decade under Labour

Business surveys show manufacturers have been in job-shedding mode for the past year as trade tariffs, sky-high energy costs and tax hikes bite.

The construction sector has also been in the doldrums.

Alice Martin, head of research at the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said: ‘The UK labour market is becoming tougher, with men increasingly at risk of long-term unemployment.

‘Challenges in traditionally male dominated industries like construction and manufacturing combined with the persistence of insecure, low-paid work in recent decades, is leaving many men without reliable incomes, especially in areas with weaker local economies.

‘This rise in worklessness is linked to growing rates of mental ill health, but we also know that insecure, poor-quality jobs can in fact worsen health too. Job churn and periods of unemployment can make re-entering work more difficult.’