The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that unemployment rose by 138,000 in the three months to August from the previous three-month period.
The unemployment rate jumped to 4.5%, its highest rate since early 2017, from 4.1% in the previous quarter.
Though unemployment has been edging up during the pandemic, with the likes of British Airways, Royal Mail and Rolls-Royce all laying off thousands, Britain has been spared the surge in unemployment seen in the United States.
Further headwinds to the economy have emerged in recent weeks with the resurgence in the virus and the government's tightening of local restrictions.
As a result, there are concerns that unemployment could soar towards 3 million, levels not seen since the early 1990s.