Oh that is unfortunate - and I bet someone worked really hard on that splendid graphic**

but other events have overshadowed the ONS' monthly publication of employment stats ... UK unemployment rises by 70,000

On the "but do see the good side of this" front the DWP Press Office has also been busy ensuring that the really important news in today's ONS release isn't missed ... 

 
The ONS were slightly more restrained in their reporting of the "unemployment up but JSA claimants down" angle :-

There has been a small fall of 7,000 in the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) between February and March 2013. The number of people claiming JSA (1.53 million) is around a million lower than the number of unemployed people; many unemployed people are not eligible for or do not claim JSA.

 ** it is, really ... 

Late update : some people are expressing themselves in various ways from "mildly surprised" to "astonished"  at the DWP's own press release on the subject - because of the "oh yes, not that it is important, but " way the information on the unemployment figures is first mentioned only in the 5th paragraph of the Press Release.

More interesting (IMHO) is the suggestion in the Press Release that 57,000 of the increase in the unemployment total is down to former NEETS deciding that they would like to have a job and committing themselves to looking for one.  I did during the course of the day come across a suggestion by an commentator that most of the NEETS in question were most likely  formerly "stay at home and bring up the kids mums [and presumably also dads] who find they can't afford to do that any more because the household needs the two adult incomes".  Sadly, idiot that I am, I didn't bookmark it, and haven't been able to find it again.

Update update the day after :  Unemployment up as stay-at-home mothers head back to the job centre