The pace at which unemployment is rising has slowed, adding to hopes the UK may have put the worst of the recession behind it even though the jobless total is expected to grow for several more months.

The jobless figure rose by 232,000 to 2.26m in the three months to April – the highest total since November 1996, but a smaller increase than the 244,000 rise over the previous quarter. In all 7.2 per cent of the workforce were out of work, the highest since July 1997.