Unemployment last month rose to the highest level it’s been in more than 20 years.

Covid-19’s impact on the economy is also stark.

Figures released by the Economic Affairs Division of the Cabinet Office showed that 1,347 people were registered as unemployed during April, an increase of 497 from March.

The increase marks the first time since March 2014 that the island has had over 1,000 people registered unemployed and is the highest since at least January 1998. The highest recorded number of unemployed since 1998 was in March 2013 when it reached 1,208.

The rise takes the island’s unemployment rate to 3.1%, up from 2% in March and 0.9% in January. Of those unemployed 843 (63%) are men and 503 (37%) women.

There was also a fall in the number of vacancies posted at the Job Centre. During April, 152 jobs were posted, compared to 410 in March and 809 in January.

The sectors with the highest number of unemployed people reflect the impact Covid-19 has had on the local economy.

The worst hit are companies termed as ’other business services’, construction - both skilled and unskilled - catering and entertainment, retail and tourism.

Meanwhile the sector with the largest number of vacancies, by a considerable margin, is medical and health services, followed by legal and accountancy, ICT, utilities, other business services and education and teaching.

The International Labour Organisation estimate of unemployment places the figure of those out of work at 2,647.