Microsoft on Wednesday became the latest company to offer to help cut the UK’s rapidly lengthening dole queues by providing free IT skills training and persuading the thousands of small businesses it works with to employ jobseekers.

The commitment was made as unemployment in the UK climbed to 2.4m in August and is expected to keep on rising. A number of large companies, including Morrisons and Royal Mail, have vowed to help lower the total by providing training and apprenticeships.