The government is calling in private recruitment firms to help job centres serve the high number of professionals who are out of work in the recession.
The government is calling in private recruitment firms to help job centres serve the high number of professionals who are out of work in the recession.
Of nearly two million UK unemployed, about a third are professionals - far more than in previous recessions.
Of nearly two million UK unemployed, about a third are professionals - far more than in previous recessions.
Work and Pensions Select Committee MP Greg Mulholland said job centres "cannot cope with what we are seeing".
Work and Pensions Select Committee MP Greg Mulholland said job centres "cannot cope with what we are seeing".
Work minister Tony McNulty said the centres were learning to deal with "people who haven't presented before".
Work minister Tony McNulty said the centres were learning to deal with people who haven't presented before".
UK unemployment rose to 1.97 million by December last year, its highest level since 1997.
UK unemployment rose to 1.97 million by December last year, its highest level since 1997.
There are fears that the situation will worsen further if the recession continues in the months ahead.
There are fears that the situation will worsen further if the recession continues in the months ahead.
The sector suffering the most job losses in the three months to December was finance and business services, which shed 72,000 posts.
The sector suffering the most job losses in the three months to December was finance and business services, which shed 72,000 posts.
"The job centre was set up in a very different era, when it was a question of getting particularly blue-collar workers, manufacturing workers, who were losing their jobs, into work," said Mr Mulholland, a Liberal Democrat. You're getting a lot more people from the higher end of the jobs market with high skills, with high aspirations in terms of pay, looking for work Tom HadleyRecruitment and Employment Confederation
"The job centre was set up in a very different era, when it was a question of getting particularly blue-collar workers, manufacturing workers, who were losing their jobs, into work," said Mr Mulholland, a Liberal Democrat. You're getting a lot more people from the higher end of the jobs market with high skills, with high aspirations in terms of pay, looking for work Tom HadleyRecruitment and Employment Confederation
"It simply cannot cope with what we are seeing, which is a huge rise in unemployment amongst the professions and amongst managers.
"It simply cannot cope with what we are seeing, which is a huge rise in unemployment amongst the professions and amongst managers.
"They simply don't know what to do about that."
"They simply don't know what to do about that."
Tom Hadley, of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said that the expertise of firms specialising in higher-level recruitment was being exploited.
Tom Hadley, of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said that the expertise of firms specialising in higher-level recruitment was being exploited.
"You're getting a lot more people from the higher end of the jobs market with high skills, with high aspirations in terms of pay, looking for work," he said.
"You're getting a lot more people from the higher end of the jobs market with high skills, with high aspirations in terms of pay, looking for work," he said.
That category of jobseeker might not "naturally gravitate towards job centres", he said, or "get the kind of guidance and potential job outcomes that they're looking for".
That category of jobseeker might not "naturally gravitate towards job centres", he said, or "get the kind of guidance and potential job outcomes that they're looking for".
"Job centres working with recruitment agencies who are specialising in that kind of level of jobs can refer them on."
"Job centres working with recruitment agencies who are specialising in that kind of level of jobs can refer them on."
Mr McNulty insisted that the job centre network was in "learning mode".
Mr McNulty insisted the job centre network was in "learning mode".
"It is dealing with people who haven't presented before," he said.
"It is dealing with people who haven't presented before," he said.
"I'm confident that it will go through that learning experience and be able to even talk the language that someone who's had a job for 20 years expects from Job Centre Plus, or at least signpost the directions, as well as give help and support to middle-class professionals for whom this is a completely different experience."
"I'm confident that it will go through that learning experience and be able to even talk the language that someone who's had a job for 20 years expects from Job Centre Plus, or at least signpost the directions, as well as give help and support to middle-class professionals for whom this is a completely different experience."
But one private recruitment consultant said she did not believe the idea would be of much help to the majority of professionals.
Claire Owen told the BBC: "About 75% of jobs are neither found through a job agency, or a recruitment business.
"They are found through people's own networks or internally."
Have you been to a job centre recently? What did you make of it? Are you unemployed? Would you think of a job centre as the first place to look for work? Tell us your thoughts by filling in the form below.
Have you been to a job centre recently? What did you make of it? Are you unemployed? Would you think of a job centre as the first place to look for work? Tell us your thoughts by filling in the form below.
