Huge drop in household incomes shows need to put jobs and wages centre stage

date: 23 October 2012

embargo: For immediate release

Commenting on the latest statistics on national well-being published today (Tuesday) by the Office for National Statistics, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'An over-reliance on the housing bubble and personal debt exaggerated income growth in the run up to the recession. Now families have been hit by the biggest squeeze in their living standards in nearly a century.

'That's why high quality jobs and a fairer distribution of decent wages must be at the heart of our economic recovery plan.

'A return to business as usual, where those at the top grab an ever larger slice of a dwindling earnings pie, will simply create another huge bust.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The latest ONS statistics are available at http://bit.ly/TcM9DP

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk