Unemployment rises: Record employment masks shock rise in youth joblessness Brighter news came with figures showing that private sector employers took on 151,000 more workers in December, while the austerity-hit public sector lost 20,000 jobs. But the ONS said the total number of hours worked fell over the period, reflecting the labour market shift to part-time roles and self-employment. The figures also show that changes to the state pension age for women retiring between the ages of 60 and 64 have forced tens of thousands of older women to continue working rather than enjoy retirement as many had planned for. Some 74,000 fewer people retired, driving a fall in overall economic inactivity. Elsewhere, however, the number of unemployed women increased by 5,000, the latest data showed. Other worrying signs that the labour market is far from recovery are reflected in long-term unemployment figures. Those out of work for two years or more rose by 2,000 between November and January, to reach 451,000; almost a fifth of the total number of people unemployed. Elsewhere, the number of people working part-time because they could not find full time jobs reached 1.4m, down slightly from the previous three months. Similarly, the number of people in temporary jobs because they could not find a full-time, permanent job rose by 8,000 to 657,000. The total number of workers with second jobs rose by 22,000 to 1.1m. The overall unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8pc and year-on-year, the jobless total fell by 136,000, the Office for National Statistics said. The figures came as IT services company Atos today announced it will almost triple the number of apprenticeships it offers this year to 100, although not all of the applicants will secure permanent jobs with the business. On Wednesday morning, a leading analyst said 2012 saw a "remarkable" increase in employment, although it was coupled with a fall in labour productivity and a squeeze on pay. The Jobs Economist, a consultancy, said last year was the best year for employment growth since 2000, with previous jobs booms taking place during periods of a strong economy. Dr John Philpott, director, said: "With the UK economy at risk of a triple dip recession, around 10,000 public sector jobs being shed each month and 2.5 million people unemployed, it sounds odd to suggest that we've just been through a jobs boom. Yet believe it or not, 2012 really was a year of extraordinarily strong employment growth. A jobs boom without economic growth is unprecedented in recent UK economic history. The downside of this truly remarkable occurrence is of course a fall in labour productivity and a continued real pay squeeze. Cheap labour might justifiably be deemed a price worth paying for jobs, but a jobs boom that doesn't deliver improved living standards is like nothing we've seen before in the UK and not necessarily a signal that the economy is heading in the right direction. Mark Hoban, minister for employment, said: "It's a credit to businesses that the private sector is employing one and a quarter million more people than when this Government took office, helping us compete in the global race. Today's figures show that against a difficult economic backdrop we're helping people to move off benefits and into work. There are still tough challenges ahead which is why we're working hard to give jobseekers all the help and support they need to realise their aspiration of finding a job. Job hunting? Browse thousands of jobs at Telegraph Jobs