The number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million during the three months to March, official figures have shown.
The unemployment total is now at its highest level since December 1994.
However, the total number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell in April by 27,100 to 1.52 million - a sharper fall than expected.
The rate of unemployment remained at 8%, the Office for National Statistics said.
There was also a rise in the number of people classed as economically inactive - those out of work and not seeking work. They rose by almost 100,000 to a record total of just under 8.2 million.
The ONS figures showed youth unemployment rising, with 941,000 16 to 24-year-olds out of work in the January to March period - a rise of 18,000 on the previous three months. The number of over-50s out of work for more than a year climbed 12,000 on the quarter to 146,000.
And 1,066,000 people said they were working part-time because they could not find a full-time job - up by 25,000.
