The number of Britons out of work for more than a year has jumped to its highest level since 1997, with men and the over 50s hit hardest, a leading thinktank said in a report on Sunday.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said analysis of official government data showed there were 850,000 people in the workforce unemployed for more than a year - up 20,000 in recent months, taking the total to "worryingly high" levels.
"Headline figures suggest that unemployment levels are stable, but these mask underlying trends," said IPPR director Nick Pearce.
"Many people are experiencing long spells of unemployment and long-term unemployment is rising steeply," he said adding it had a scarring effect having a negative impact on one's health and well-being.
Opposition politicians have criticised Britain's governing coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats for pressing ahead with rapid public spending cuts to tame a record budget deficit at a time when private sector demand is not secure.
The opposition Labour Party believes such a programme will derail the recovery, hit growth and cause unemployment to rise.
After significant falls through the late 1990s and 2000s, the rate of long-term unemployment began rising steeply again from the start of 2009, the IPPR said. The proportion of men who have been out of work for more than a year rose from 25 percent - 338,000 - in 2009 to almost 40 percent it said. For women, the number increased from 169,000 to 282,000.