Industrialised countries face 10 pct jobless rate: OECD

PARIS: The OECD warned on Tuesday that unemployment in the industrialised world could approach 10 percent next year, a level not seen since the 1970s, and would remain high "for a long time to come."

The jobless rate in the 30 economies surveyed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development came to 7.8 percent in April.

The organisation said more than 57 million people will likely be out of work in OECD countries by the end of 2010, up from 37.2 million at the end of 2008.

"Unemployment will continue to weigh on national economies for a long time to come," OECD Secretary General Angel Guria said in a statement.

"Previous downturns have taught us that the jobs recovery will lag a long way behind the pickup in economic growth."

The organisation urged OECD governments to ensure that "financial safety nets" exist for those who lose jobs and for low-income families.