British unemployment hits 14-year high

Britain's recession-hit economy took another beating on Wednesday as official data showed that the labour market was in its worst state for 14 years, with companies slashing jobs to save cash.

The number of unemployed climbed by 210,000 to 2.47 million people in the three months to July -- the highest level since May 1995 -- despite tentative signs of economic recovery.

And the unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent in the three months to July, hitting the highest level since November 1996, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).