http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/6861673/...

Professional workers have suffered the biggest increases in unemployment during the recession, figures published by the Conservatives disclose.

Architects, surveyors, vets and solicitors are among those to have seen the biggest percentage increases in unemployment rates since the economic downturn began.

Many of those made redundant are thought to be in their late forties and fifties and may struggle to find new employment.

An analysis of official figures detailing unemployment benefit claimants shows that almost every profession has been affected by rising redundancies.

The number of unemployed solicitors on benefits has risen by 401 per cent to more than 1,800.

The number of unemployed architects rose from 155 in March 2008 to 1,595 last month, and the number of unemployed vets rose from 15 to 90. Unemployment among surveyors is up almost tenfold, while the number of accountants out of work has risen by 250 per cent.

The figures are likely to hide the full scale of unemployment among the professions because many white-collar workers do not claim benefits, but rely on their savings or payoffs, if made redundant.

One of the only types of job where unemployment claims have actually fallen is “senior officials in national government”.

Although professional jobs have seen the biggest percentage rises in those claiming unemployment benefit, lower-skilled jobs have seen more people made unemployed.

The number of shop assistants claiming benefits has risen by 87,700 and the number of unemployed van drivers is up by 26,900.